The Web of Time
by Shadow of the Fire Bird
Summary: A bizarre tale that chronicles a voyaging Doctor, his travels across the universe, and his ever changing relationship with the one person who could never leave him (All Doctors X OC)
1. The Lady of Space

Chapter 1: The Lady of Space

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_"Time is very slow for those who wait;_

_Very fast for those who are scared;_

_Very long for those who lament;_

_Very short for those who celebrate;_

_But for those who love, time is Eternal."_

_\- William Shakespeare_

* * *

I'd never understood the expression of 'ear-splitting headache' until the moment I crashed head-on into a time machine.

I know that seems kind of silly, but the expression does indeed rain true.  
In fact, everything split out from around me like shattering glass.

My mind went white with pain as I was bombarded with millions upon millions of colors, sounds, and data. It filled me up to the point that I thought I was going to explode.  
People, places, sounds, noise, war, terror, happiness, pain, love, loss. All of these things churned in and around me, tangling through my essence like some kind of turbulent storm.

_Too much…It was too much_. My conscious expanded violently in an attempt to compensate for this sudden onslaught of information, but it eventually ruptured and imploded, so that I was left to sort myself back out in an eerie kind of silence, once all of my jittery neurons had calmed down.

When I came too, I felt something solid beneath my fingers. It took me a few moments to process this as my senses were still far too shell-shocked for me to make out anything, but the solidity beneath me was the first thing I noticed. As was an odd kind of fuzzy ringing in my ears.

Something solid…Something solid but still humming faintly like the distant drone of a bee.  
I was already well enough aware that something in my ascension had gone horribly wrong, but some ignorant, hopeful part of my mind still wished to believe that I had made the dimensional jump successfully.

The next thing to switch back on were my ears, although this process was considerably slower and less abrupt than my transition back to physical touch was. The latter already sent my body into a jittery panic as I wasn't supposed to even have a physical form anymore. Back to the head thing, I think my mind was trying to patch itself back up because my brain felt like it was made of cotton, but I was still conscious enough to make out the sounds of voices surrounding me.

"I think she's waking up," the voice of a young girl exclaimed.

"Good, so the transfer was successful," a second voice, older and grimmer replied. "Come away from her, Susan. She has probably had quite the shock."

"Will she be alright?" the first voice, Susan, inquired.

"We shall see," the second replied as it was at that time that I got full control of my motor skills again.  
Forcing the stuffy feeling from my mind, I willed myself back into clarity and slowly opened my eyes.  
I was lying on a hard but oddly warm surface with two faces peering down at me with a steadily growing curiosity.

It was obvious from their appearance that they were the two who had been examining me during my slow ascent back into consciousness as one was an old man and the other a young girl.  
The girl was small and fairy-like with large, dark eyes and a scruffy mop of short, dark hair. She was dressed in a very simple cotton dress. As for the old man, his face and hands were lined with age, his hair powder white and thinning above the forehead. His nose was hooked almost like a bird's beak; his fingers were long and seemed to constantly be fumbling with something. He was dressed in a black frock coat with gaudy checked pants and a long scarf.

"There now, see?" the old man reassured Susan. "She's quite alright."

"What-?" I croaked out the simple question, my voice felt scratchy and thick. "What's happened?"  
I tried to lift my head, but it felt oddly heavy, like it was replaced with a bowling ball. I fell back against the floor with a groan.

"Easy now," the old man knelt down beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder. _Whoa, hot hand! Hot blood!_  
With a cry, I jumped back and, despite the crashing in my head, I skidded into a sitting position and jumped away from him. The old man watched me intently as I leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.

"W-What is this?" I struggled to keep my voice even. "What are you?" I paused trying to gather my bearings as I squeezed my eyes shut.  
That funny ringing noise was back as well as an odd sort of pounding in my temple. In fact, the pounding was everywhere: beating under a kind of flesh that felt like it was stretched far too thin over my organs. The pounding ran throughout my body, stretching out from my core. It felt metallic and freezing, like ice water pooling under my skin.

_No…_ I snapped my eyes open again. I stared down at myself. Little could be seen for a long, black overcoat had been hastily thrown over my form, but there was something definitely physical underneath it. At the sight of this, my heart plummeted into my stomach.

"Why does it feel so cold?" I whispered, a building dread coating my words.

"I'd imagine you are not used to the form the TARDIS gave you," the old man replied simply, "It will take a while to adjust."

_Form….Adjust? No, no it couldn't be…_

But it could. My dread only ran deeper as I slowly raised my hands to hold them in front of my face: long, thin bones, muscles, and tendons all encased in a withering kind of flesh, white like milk and covered in kneaded wrinkles.  
This body was shriveled and old. Perhaps dying for all I know!

Everything about it felt so horribly wrong: the cold, the pounding of blood that coursed through my veins, this wrinkled flesh that had replaced my smooth porcelain skin. My body, my beautiful body, had been lost, disintegrated, and there was no other-dimensional form I could take.

I was too dignified to scream; I had lost enough of my dignity already, so I let out nothing, but an anguished cry, stunted by tightly gritted teeth.

"No! What is this?" I cried, staggering to my feet. My legs trembled under my own weight, feeling thin as toothpicks._ Useless! Useless and weak!_ "What is this useless flesh? I am not this! I am divine!"

"You are no more a god than I am," the old man stated as he drew Susan into his chest; the young girl seemingly frightened by my outburst.

_But, is that really saying much? What you are, what you could only be…There is no other creature that you could possibly be._

"What have you done?" I whispered; my voice tight with barely concealed rage. "What have you done, Time Lord?!"

The man raised an eyebrow at my words. "So, you are aware of what I am?" he mused calmly, despite my furious gaze scalding his form.  
Releasing the young girl, he slowly walked over to me, far too close to for comfort. I stood firmly rooted to the spot; wanting to step away, but my pride would not permit it.

"You know what I am, and I know what you are," he continued.

I laughed grimly in spite of myself. "How can you? I am trapped within this feeble human flesh," I demanded, my teeth grinding together as I spoke.

"It is written all over your essence, and it was revealed in its blinding glory when you first entered my TARDIS."  
Here, the old man paused to gently brush his finger along the scape of my jawline; running the single digit delicately over every grove in this oddly aged skin. "You are so beautiful," he whispered; his voice seemingly thoughtful.

"How dare you lay a hand on me?" I spat, stepping back this time from revulsion. _Of all the creatures in this heavily polluted universe, I had to be dumped into the lap of a Time Lord?!_

I can't say I was really thrilled about it, not in the slightest. It was no secret that our two races didn't really get along. We weren't sworn enemies or anything, us Lyall just weren't too fond of how nosey the Time Lords were; their constant inter-dimensional meddling and the invasion of our personal space that this usually entailed. We were both prideful races, ancient and self-indulgent. We were destined to clash, like rubbing two pieces of sand paper together to coin a human simile.

"You have no right to speak such a word as 'beautiful' towards me after what you have done!" I continued to scream, waving my arms in the air in a fit of almost hysterics. The Time Lord calmly stepped back from me. "Speaking of which, undo it. Undo it now!" I continued, gazing around the odd white platform we were all standing on.  
_Platform…No bridge. That's it; it it's more like the bridge of a spaceship, but different in some ways_. It was impossible to describe.

"What do you mean by 'undo,'" the Time Lord asked.

"You heard me," I turned back to him. "Your Time Machine has disrupted my ascension and left me stranded in this false form. Release me, and let me be on my way. Or have you perhaps desired to take me captive from the beginning? I have heard of Time Lord nobility but also of their slimy greed."

"I have no intentions to hold you here against your will," the old Time Lord insisted, taking off his Astrakhan hat to wipe his sweaty brow. "None whatsoever, I assure you. As for releasing you, I am afraid I can do no such thing."

At his words, I curled my hands into fists and started shaking so great was my rage. Where did this Time Lord think he had the right?

"What do you mean you cannot undo what has been done to me?" I cried, my voice slightly shrill.

"As I said, what has been done to you was not my own doing but rather that of the TARDIS," the Time Lord replied.

"TARDIS…You keep saying that. What does it mean?"

"It's the name that was given to the time devices of the Time Lords," the young Susan, who had previously been standing off to the side watching the exchange between myself and her elderly companion, suddenly piped up. "TARDIS is a word built from the initials. Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. See? It's quite clever."

As she spoke, Susan gestured behind me to what looked like the central console that seemed to control this bizarre device they called the TARDIS. As I turned to face it, I immediately felt a strange kind of pull towards it: something was pulsing within the depths of this ancient creature and the waves it gave off were old and familiar to me.

They were me.

I was in the TARDIS!

"That's me," I whispered, my anger momentarily subsiding.  
Now feeling rather numb, I walked up to the console, gripping the coat tightly around my otherwise naked form. The control panel was shaped like a large disc that had a kind of pump in the middle that shot straight up to connect to the ceiling. Surrounding the center were dozens upon dozens of brightly colored buttons, knobs, pulleys, levers, as well as computer systems and other odds and ends I couldn't be bothered to identify. Slowly, I placed my hand on the TARDIS surface, not caring that the old man and the girl named Susan were watching me intently.  
"That's me," I repeated, "I'm in the TARDIS."

"So, it would seem," the Time Lord stated, striding up beside me. "While the TARDIS traveled throughout the Time Vortex, your spiritual energy collided with it."

"Anima" I interrupted him. "Our spiritual energy is called Anima."

"Right. As I was saying, while you were spread out across the face of the universe, your core essence was passing through the universal stream on which the TARDIS rides, like a river, towards its destinations through time and space. Said core collided with the Heart of the TARDIS and dragged the rest of you with it." He paused to look at me. "I can imagine that wasn't a very pleasant experience."

I scowled, fuming slightly at the look of condescending sympathy in his eyes. Young eyes despite his otherwise heavily-aged appearance.

"Why did the TARDIS pull me in then?" I demanded. "A withering old Time Lord like yourself would have no use for me and I, a Lyall, would have no use for you."

"I couldn't begin to understand," the old man replied with a shrug. "The TARDIS is a device that is not easily comprehended. It does what it feels is right for the good of its passengers and, as it can exist at any point along the universal time line, we may not know the extent of its true intentions until much later."

"I don't care to ever know," I snapped back. "I shall continue my ascension on to my people. If you cannot free me from the TARDIS, than I will force it to do so."

"I wouldn't do that," the old man advised but it was too late.  
Susan shrieked as I thrust my hand into the center of the time machine's console, gathering what little of my Anima remained in this withered form and sent it spiraling down through the complex inner workings of the TARDIS.  
As soon as I did so, I regretted it.

It happened all over again. I was immediately thrust back into the turbulent hurricane that was the horrors of existing all at once. I felt like my body was being pulled in a million different directions, my mind loosening its hold on the here and now as everything was bombarding me, absorbing my essence. I became immense in size but impossibly small at the same time.

_No, no, no, no! It's too much; make it stop!_

I screamed as I was violently jerked away from the console and everything receded back to normal; it took a few moments, but my mind eventually smoothed itself like calming waves after a storm.

The old man had me around the waist and was carrying me towards a chair. He promptly put me down. I found that I was trembling, and my cheeks were burning in what I could only imagine to be a blush of embarrassment.

_God, I hate having skin. _I squeezed my eyes shut; refusing to look at the two Time Lords standing before me.

_No, no, no, no. This can't be happening. I can't be stuck in here, stranded in the chasms of the universe while the rest of my people left this plane and moved on to the next! I needed to leave somehow_. I needed to find a way to free myself from the TARDIS.

"As I predicted," the old man pulled me from my musings. "You are buried within the depths of the Heart of the TARDIS; your central core has now been fused with it. It would be nearly impossible to free you from it. I am afraid, my dear, you are not going anywhere for a long time."

"What are you to say that?" I demanded, jumping back to my feet. "How dare you make such an arrogant proclamation to me? I will escape this place and be rid of you both. I will rejoin my people in this next world as I was meant to!"

"That wouldn't be possible," Susan replied hastily. "Didn't you hear what my grandfather said? You are a part of the TARDIS. It gives you flesh, so that you may exist outside it, but your core remains within the machine. You are too heavily woven into this universe. You exist everywhere at once. There is no way you would ever be able to pass on in this state."

I felt like I'd been smacked. I wanted to smack back, but I was too stunned to do so as I staggered away from the Time Lord and Lady. Swaying from shock, it felt like a lead brick had dropped on my head.

_No, no, no, no, NO!_

I shrieked as I slammed my fists into my head, feeling shaggy salt and pepper hair growing out of my scalp like brittle straw. "This cannot be happening. I cannot be stranded as this…this thing! I cannot be lowered to this state! I am a Lyall!"

"The oldest race in the universe," the Time Lord mused. "I am sorry. Truly. You must believe that I am. I wish I could free you, but there is nothing I can do for you."

"Do not show me pity," I spat, advancing towards the old man. "You arrogant, self-indulgent simpleton!"

"Do not speak to my grandfather that way!" Susan cried.

"Grandfather?" I'd missed her calling him that the first time. "Aren't you a little old to be having grandkids, Time Lord?" I inquired of the old man with the young eyes.

"Aren't you a little crude and brash for a Lyall?" he immediately shot back.

"I have no desire towards civil interactions with the likes of the useless Time Lords or any of the other mongrels that pollute the universe of the Lyall!" I snapped in response.

"Grandfather, there must be some way to free her from this state," Susan cried. "It will be entirely too unpleasant for all of us if she were to remain."

Her grandfather sighed. "Believe me; I agree with you, Susan; but I do not know all of the secrets of the TARDIS. Perhaps, one day, this beautiful Lyall would be able to leave this place, but I do not know when that would be."

"It will be one day very soon," I declared, tightening my hold on the coat around my shoulders before turning swiftly on my heel and stalking towards the door that seemed to lead deeper into the inner workings of the time machine.  
What little knowledge I had of these Time Lord machines was that they were immense in size. If perhaps I traveled far and deep enough into the device, I could uncover the secret to freeing me from this cursed prison and my intolerable jailers.

"Where are you going?" Susan called as I turned to leave.

"Nowhere you need to concern yourself with," I replied sharply. "It is as you said: the TARDIS holds many secrets. Perhaps, I might find the key to my escape from your wretched presence."

"What an utterly unpleasant woman," I heard the old man murmur to his granddaughter. "As it would seem, beauty is only skin deep."

"I heard that, Time Lord," I snapped, "and you can stop degrading me with all of this 'beautiful' nonsense. As if I need to be told Lyalls are beautiful."

"What are we to call you?" Susan then asked.

I stared at her. "What?"

"If what my grandfather says is true, and you will remain here in the TARDIS then we must call you by something."

"I will not remain trapped in this place for long," I replied sharply. "Even if I did, you would call me nothing. My name is sacred, even amongst my people; I will not allow it to be tainted by touching your lips."

"There must be something to address you by," Susan pressed. "Perhaps a nickname?"

I scoffed at the thought. The old man, meanwhile, looked thoughtful. "Tell me, of which lineage are you? I understand that the Lyall people are divided into various groups depending on abilities and familial relation."

I scowled at him. "If you must know, I am of the Eternal Lineage."

The old man's face crinkled into a smile. "There now, that wasn't so hard."

"Eternal? As in, to live forever?" Susan inquired.

"My family name has come to mean that," I admitted.

"I know!" Susan exclaimed. "How about Terna?"

I arched an eyebrow. "Terna?"

"Yes, it's a play on the name Eternal. Eternal, Terna. Get it?"

I replied with a heavy sigh.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," the old man exclaimed.

"I do not recall asking for you opinion, Time Lord," I snapped back.

"Doctor" he replied.

I paused. "What?"

"If we are to call you 'Terna', you ought to know what to address us by," the Time Lord explained. "My granddaughter has taken the name Susan," he gestured to the young girl. "And I am known as the Doctor."

"Doctor Who?" I demanded.

"Just the Doctor."

"That is utterly ludicrous," I stated flatly, turning once more to exit the room, but the Doctor stopped me yet again.

"I don't want to later find out you have been messing with my things while you wander the TARDIS inner workings," he called to me, causing me to pause on the threshold. "Despite how unpleasant you are, you are still a guest on my ship."

"And what shall you do if I do mess anything up?" I demanded as I snatched an antique magnifying glass from the TARDIS console. _Best to be armed just in case; a normal object would do and my Anima will do the rest_. "Nothing. A Time Lord is but a flea to the might of a Lyall. I doubt you would be a hindrance to me even in my current state. Now, goodbye and good riddance."

"I do hope you realize that I am sorry for what has happened to you, Terna. Truly I am," the Doctor continued on, but I stopped listening as I vanished into the bowels of the mysterious TARDIS.

Thus begins the adventure of a lifetime for both the Doctor and myself. On the day I met him, I never would have expected what would come from it. As the Time Lord said, the true intentions of the TARDIS are often not revealed until much later…

* * *

A/N: "Arrogant, self-indulgent simpleton!" Truly, love at first sight. And yes, Terna is a bit of a bitch, but that's subject to change in the future. After all, we have a long way to go. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter!


	2. The Lord of Time

A/N: This chapter is a rewrite of the previous chapter from the Doctor's perspective. Enjoy!

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Chapter 2: The Lord of Time

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Not a day goes by that I do not marvel at the TARDIS. This spectacular device that I…ahem…_borrowed_ from my home world; the contraption that whisked my surrogate granddaughter and myself away from Gallifrey, the home planet of the Time Lords.  
Never had I encountered a device of such complexity, such depth, such splendor and wisdom, and I haven't since.

I knew from the moment I touched the console that the TARDIS was more than a simple time machine, so much more. However, I never could have imagined what this splendid device would soon deliver me…

Susan and I had barely escaped our world and were hurtling through the time stream at breakneck speed. As Susan screamed and cried bitterly from all of the turbulent knocking about, I desperately fiddled with the endless supply of buttons and knobs on the TARDIS control panel, trying to gain some form of control over the system. When I'd punched in the coordinates as we'd fled, I hadn't any particular destination in mind. None whatsoever. Also, this particular TARDIS was ancient and faulty. Who knew where we'd end up?

For a moment, I thought neither of us would ever get anywhere at all.  
We'd only been airborne through the current for a few minutes when something very large, very powerful, and very heavy suddenly careened headlong into the system, shaking it up pretty badly and causing the entire machine to go into emergency shutdown mode.

Susan screamed even louder, and I gave a shout as we toppled head over heels around the TARDIS as it tumbled through the air. The whole system was going mad; sparks jumped up from the console along with flashes of golden fire. I could hear the inner corridors of the machine groan and whine at the drastic amount of pressure and energy it was attempting to absorb.  
The gravity fluctuated wildly as we fell like a stone through time and space; sometimes we were lighter than air and drifting upward to knock against the ceiling; other times, we were heavier than lead and pinned to the floor, gasping for breath.

"Grandfather!" Susan cried; her eyes wide with terror as she reached out her small hands to grasp mine. I clutched her fingertips and held them tightly.  
"I've got you, Susan," I reassured her as we crashed through the fabric of space and collided into something dark, foul smelling, and very, very solid. The TARDIS squealed upon the impact before everything went black.

The darkness was dense, thick like butter; I couldn't even see the end of my nose.  
I could feel Susan trembling beside me, and I cautiously moved forward through the immense black to grab her and hold her close. The TARDIS remained still; we had finally reached the end of our descent, and I hadn't the faintest idea where or when we were, but I didn't care at the moment.

I also ignored the fact that the TARDIS was probably very, very broken. I was breathing heavily, and the two hearts I possessed rattled around inside my chest. The darkness pressed in around us; it was almost suffocating. Susan buried her face in my chest and cried.

"It's alright, Susan," I whispered, gently stroking her dark hair.

The darkness remained, imposing and unwavering. I didn't know what to do; I couldn't see a damn thing.  
Suddenly, the TARDIS console erupted to life, lighting up like a Christmas tree.  
Everything became consumed in a blinding, white energy. I shielded Susan from the light as it spread out around us, like a bird opening its wings.  
The light was shockingly bright, burning like fire and stinging my eyes and skin. I could feel it applying pressure to my body, so great was the weight of its energy, the intensity of its power.

I gave a shout as the light consumed the TARDIS and everything in it, including us. As it spread out around me, I willed myself to keep focused on the very center: the origin of the light.  
And that's when I saw it: The Heart of the TARDIS, bottomless and impossible.

It was so pure, it hurt to look at, as though all of my sins were being pushed before my eyes and burning them deeply.  
I could feel everything inside me beginning to unravel, but I couldn't pull my gaze away from this alarming sense of clarity and power laid out before me.  
As I willed myself to look deeper, I saw the source of all of the commotion: the cause of the crash and the light.  
The TARDIS had something snared in its depths, like a butterfly caught in a spider's web.

Some kind of winged creature, full of power and wisdom, was writhing around; its form raveling and unraveling, exploding and imploding.  
The energy swept around it like some kind of violent current, reflective of the river of time.

The creature thrashed around inside its snare; trying desperately to pull free from the complex threads that knotted the TARDIS Heart. It thrashed and cried out, its screams loud and pitiful, so full of agony. I felt its pain deep in the depths of my soul. It was laid out before me, completely exposed.  
A creature as old as time itself and in so much pain; so much energy was being poured into it, so much was coming out. I wanted to do something; something to end the suffering as its screams rang in my ears.  
But I was frozen where I stood; transfixed by the beauty of the TARDIS and the beauty of the creature trapped within it. They clashed and fought one another, tangling together in some kind of horrible yet mesmerizing dance.  
This power…There was nothing else like it in the universe. This creature...What it was, what it could only be: a Lyall, a member of the first race.

It was so beautiful; it took my breath away.

The clashing continued as I watched the two counter each other, but the TARDIS almost seemed to surge out violently, unfolding to wrap tightly around the creature, trapping it fully deep inside its Heart.  
The light grew even brighter, and I finally had to avert my gaze.

Although, I could still feel the heat against my face and the power at work. The TARDIS shielded the core of the creature's spiritual energy before severing a fraction and concealing it within a vessel: a shell it fashioned from its Heart.

It laid the fraction of the Lyall's soul almost lovingly inside the skin it had formed. Then, as soon as it came, the light stopped; the Heart retreated back into the depths of the device. The pressuring darkness returned, but only for a few moments. There was the faintest flicker, weak at first, but it soon grew in power, and then the rest of the TARDIS jumped back to life and was alight once more.  
Gently, I loosened Susan's hold around my waist and carefully got to my feet, feeling the ache in my bones as I did so.

_This body's wearing out already_, I thought bitterly as I helped Susan to her feet.  
She was still crying, but they were silent tears, and her eyes seemed to shine more with an intense confusion rather than fear. I soon saw why.

Lying on the ground, still as a corpse, was the shape I had seen the TARDIS fashion from the energy of its Heart. No longer bathed in the splendor of the machine or the Lyall that it now housed, the body looked entirely ordinary. However, to my sensitive eyes, I still saw the power that pulsed under it: the blue energy that coursed through the veins beside human-like blood. Otherwise, the body was middle-aged like myself, although perhaps a little older looking, with stringy grey hair and eyes hidden behind tightly closed lids. Also, it was naked.

"Here, Susan." I closed my eyes and handed her my overcoat. She hastily tossed the coat over the Lyall's form.

"She's clothed, Grandfather," the young girl informed me.  
I reopened my eyes and then, moving slowly with hesitation and also building excitement, I walked towards the body and knelt down beside it. I could still see the power beneath the skin; it lingered over the entire form like some kind of faint perfume.  
Tenderly, I reached out and touched her forehead. Cold. Her body was cold. How odd, perhaps the TARDIS did not comprehend humanoid body temperatures.

"Grandfather, who is this woman? Where did she come from?" So fixed was I on the Lyall, that my granddaughter's questions outwardly startled me.

"She's a Lyall, Susan," I calmly explained, getting back to my feet.

Susan's mouth parted in shock.

"You don't mean…" her voice trailed off as she leaned in closer to the sleeping woman.

"I do indeed, the oldest race in the universe. The first race, to be more precise."

"She looks like us," Susan observed.

"This is not her true form," I replied simply as Susan came up beside me, bending down so as to get a closer look at our unexpected guest. "She lost her true form when she collided with our TARDIS while we were riding the time stream," I continued to explain, "The TARDIS seems to have imprinted itself deep inside her celestial essence and has now granted her a new, humanoid shape to compensate for her loss."

"That's horrible," Susan whispered.

"And uncomfortable, I'd imagine," I added.

At that moment, the Lyall's eyes fluttered slightly under her closed eyelids. "I think she's waking up," Susan exclaimed.

"Good. So the transfer was successful," I declared, stepping away from the Lyall and pulling Susan with me. "Come away from her, Susan; she's probably had quite the shock."

"Will she be alright?" Susan inquired.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the Lyall's eye slowly opening. "We shall see," I replied.

She opened her eyes fully then. I was alarmed to say the least. They were a striking shade of blue; a kind of blue that was so vibrant, so deep, and so intense that it almost seemed to glow when you looked at them head on. Beautiful; everything about this creature was beautiful.

"There now, see?" I reassured my granddaughter. "She's quite alright."

Susan didn't seem convinced as the Lyall attempted to move and speak. I tried to aid her, but as soon as I did, her cold body reacted to my heated blood, and she jerked away from my with a rather unpleasant cry.

The creature was in quite the tizzy for a little while. She didn't seem to have any recollection of what had just occurred. She only remembered that she was supposed to be somewhere, anywhere but here.

And she was vile. Oh, was she every vile.  
The classic, wealthy, spoiled brat of a Lyall that I would never be caught dead associating with had this been any other circumstance.

Okay, so maybe not everything about her was beautiful. Naturally, when I explained to the details of her current state: now being deeply infused into the TARDIS inner workings, she wanted out and wanted out immediately. This was where we got ourselves into a rather large pickle. I knew next to nothing about the TARDIS.

I'd only just borrowed it.

There was probably an instruction manual lying around here somewhere, but I sure as hell wasn't going to slave through all that meandering text to try and figure out how to properly drive this thing, let alone figure out how to get a living creature out of the Heart.

I didn't have the patience for that kind of grunt work.

When I explained to the Lyall that I did not know how to remove her from the TARDIS, she was thoroughly infuriated; when I tried to empathize with this marvelous creature, she was even more pissed off by me and in a much more crude of a way. Evidently, her pride bled even deeper into her soul than mine did.

Did she ever have an ego. She was thick too.

She almost got us all killed by trying to manually remove herself from the TARDIS on a sporadic whim.  
I had to forcefully wrench her away from the console before her head exploded from the energy's pressure and splattered all over the place, ruining the nice paint job.  
This proved to be awkward because she was still naked beside my overcoat. I then deposited her into a chair.

It seemed at that moment that the true extent of her situation fully set in, and she let out an ear-piercing shriek: "This cannot be happening. I cannot be stranded as this…this thing! I cannot be lowered to this state! I am a Lyall!"

A Lyall; under any other circumstance I would be positively ecstatic at this discovery. However, it didn't take long for me to recall the full extent of the race that claimed to be the first life in the entire universe. They were as arrogant as they come and considered every other race in the universe that had come after them as nothing more than mongrels, an afterthought.

Also, there were two types of Lyall, and I didn't know which one of them this particular creature was.

All the same, I still tried to quiet the woman; if only to get her to stop screaming. "The oldest in the universe," I spoke with an air of forced sympathy. "I am sorry. Truly. You must believe that I am. As a Time Lord, I only wish to help you, but there is nothing I can do for you."

That proved to be a mistake. The Lyall, for I still didn't know her name, seemed to have taken my attempts of comfort for condescension:

"Do not show me pity! You arrogant, self-indulgent simpleton!"

Huh, I don't think I've ever had a woman point out my greatest flaws after being in my presence so briefly. Although, the simpleton comment irked me somewhat.

Susan seemed displeased about it as well.

"Do not speak to my grandfather that way!" she cried.

The Lyall seemed rather amused by the 'grandfather' title.

"Aren't you a little old to be having grand-kids, Time Lord?"

Now, that simply isn't fair. Susan isn't my real granddaughter because I'm actually too young to have grandchildren; I don't even have any _children_. For God's sake, I'm only four hundred and six!

"Aren't you a little crude and brash for a Lyall?" My patience was wearing thin.  
Despite the beauty of this creature and my excitement at beholding one of the universe's oldest beings, I had entirely forgotten their vulgar attitude towards anything that wasn't their own kind. They were the epitome of racial bigots.

"I have no desire towards civil interactions with the likes of the useless Time Lords or any of the other mongrels that pollute the universe of the Lyall!" See? Case in point right there.

Rightfully so, I suppose, I thought to myself, they have such strength and power, not to mention they're absolutely gorgeous. No. Stop it. Focus on the matter at hand.

"Grandfather, there must be some way to free her from this state," Susan cried. "It will be entirely too unpleasant for all of us if she were to remain."

Unpleasant, indeed. Susan was right. The Lyall could not stay here: trapped in the TARDIS after she'd already smashed it up and crashed us into an unknown planet and era. But, what could be done?

I sighed. _Quite the predicament_.

"Believe me; I agree with you, Susan," I said to my granddaughter, "But I do not know all of the secrets of the TARDIS. Perhaps, one day, this beautiful Lyall would be able to leave this place, but I do not know when that would be."

"It will be one day very soon," the Lyall declared before turning on her heel and swiftly heading towards the door that lead to deeper into the immense TARDIS, still wearing my overcoat like a cloak.

_I like that coat, I kind of want it back._

"Where are you going?" Susan dared to inquire of the Lyall.

"Nowhere you need to concern yourself with," she snapped in response. "It is as you said: the TARDIS holds many secrets. Perhaps, I might find the key to my escape from your wretched presence."

Wretched? Really? Who crashed into whose Time Machine?

"What an utterly unpleasant woman. As it would seem, beauty is only skin deep."

_Wait, did I say that out loud?_

Apparently I did, because the Lyall was fuming. Her striking blue eyes were ablaze with a rage that had already been simmering and was now about to boil over.

"I heard that, Time Lord, and you can stop degrading me with all of this 'beautiful' nonsense. As if I need to be told Lyalls are beautiful."

Humble too, apparently. Also, it was a compliment, you touchy woman! For God's sake, you are pretty, not that that's important, but you are; you shouldn't cast such a declaration from someone aside like it's nothing. Have a little respect.

"What are we to call you?" Susan then asked.

Good question. The Lyall didn't seem to understand.

"If what my grandfather says is true, and you may be here in the TARDIS for quite some time than we must call you by something," Susan explained.

"I will not remain trapped in this place for long." Let's hope not. "Even if I did, you would call me nothing. My name is sacred; I will not allow it to be tainted by touching your lips."

"There must be something to address you by," Susan pressed. "Perhaps a nickname?"

_Let it alone, Susan. Names aren't too important. Then again, depending on how long this Lyall is to remain in our company, a title of some kind might be in order…_

"Tell me, of which lineage are you?" I inquired of our visitor. "I understand that the Lyall people are divided into various groups depending on abilities and familial relation."

The Lyall glared at me, "If you must know, I am of the Eternal Lineage." "Eternal? As in, to live forever?" Susan inquired.

I gave her a decidedly mocking smile. "There now, that wasn't so hard."

"My family name has come to mean that," the Lyall admitted. Yes, so I was right.

"I know! How about Terna?" Susan offered.

The creature gave her a funny look "Terna?"

"Yes, it's a play on the name Eternal. Eternal, Terna. Get it?"

_That's actually kinda clever, Susan, not to mention the name means something in High Gallifreyian. Can't remember what though. That's going to bug me for days._

The Lyall didn't seem too thrilled about the name. However, she didn't object to it either. She just sighed heavily. _What a drama queen!_

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," I cried.

"I do not recall asking for you opinion, Time Lord," she shot back.

"Doctor," Enough of this 'Time Lord' business.

The Lyall, Terna rather, looked confused. "What?"

"If we are to call you Terna, you ought to know what to address us by," I explained. "My granddaughter has taken the name Susan and I am known as the Doctor."

"Doctor Who?" Terna demanded.

"Just the Doctor." It's not that hard to figure out.

"That is utterly ludicrous," Terna stated before turning to leave once more. Well, that was just rude.

"Terna," I called after her. She stopped on the threshold in response. "I don't want to later find out you have been messing with my things while you wander the TARDIS inner workings," You already took my coat. "Despite how unpleasant you are, you are still a guest on my ship."

"And what shall you do if I do mess anything up?" Terna demanded as she snatched an antique magnifying glass lying on the TARDIS console.  
Great, now she's taking my magnifying glass.

"Nothing. A Time Lord is but a flea to the might of a Lyall. I doubt you would be a hindrance to me even in my current weakened state. I suppose she does have a point there. Now, goodbye and good riddance."

The feeling's mutual. However, as I watched the Lyall standing in the doorway, her iridescent blue eyes shining with a dozen different emotions, I couldn't help but feel another pang of sympathy, and perhaps even empathy. She was, after all, all alone in this vast universe, left to wander in the fourth dimension. Susan and I, on the other hand, were cut off from our people as nothing but homeless runaways.

"I do hope you realize that I am sorry for what has happened to you, Terna. Truly I am," I called to her.

Terna didn't respond; she silently swept out of the room and vanished into the darkened depths of the TARDIS.

Where she was headed I didn't know, nor did I know what the TARDIS that had brought her here to me had in store for the both of us. I couldn't have imagined it in a hundred years.

* * *

A/N: Well, there it is chapter 2! For those of you that haven't seen my profile page, I'm going to be uploading a new chapter every Sunday in order to stick to a schedule. Stay tuned for more


	3. Pride of the Lyall

Chapter 3: Pride of the Lyall

* * *

Terna didn't know what to expect when she crossed the threshold into the mysterious labyrinth that was the TARDIS. The halls were long, dimly lit, and eerily quiet.

She tried not to allow herself to be discouraged by the twisted maze that lay out before her.

Taking a minute breath, she willed herself forward, walking in a purposeful straight line. The first order of business was getting new clothes.

The Time Lord known as the Doctor had stated that she could be remain trapped within the TARDIS for quite some time, but Terna was intent on proving him wrong in this theory. However, something to wear would be useful no matter how long she stayed.

Now, the question was: were would she get clothes?  
Terna paused in the center of the hallway. Glancing around, she saw that hall branched out into several different directions with many doors and other side entrances lining the walls, like tributaries from a river they unfolded out from the center source and stretched off in numerous directions. Terna's heart fluttered nervously in spite of herself.  
How was she supposed to navigate this place? There didn't seem to be any sort of rhyme or reason to it.

The logical solution would be to turn right around and go back to the bridge of the ship to inquire after the Doctor about the layout of the TARDIS. However, Terna's pride was like a thick wall pressed to her back, pushing her only forward.  
So, she pressed on.

Striding with poised determination, she wound her way through the complex stream of identical hallways towards an unknown destination. At first, Terna only moved in a straight line, intent on remaining that way so as not to get lost. This got her nowhere fast; however, as all of the halls had doors on either side of them that seemed to lead off to other places.

Finally, the hall ended and a large white door rose up to meet the Lyall. She stopped momentarily before swiftly turning the handle. She strode over the threshold without any further hesitation.

Her foot touched down on nothing; Terna's heart stood still behind her ribs, and she let out a strangled cry as she toppled face first over a drop that branched out directly from the door.

She hurtled towards the ground, arms and legs flailing wildly about her as the coat leapt up from her body and unfolded in the air like the wings of a bird.  
Terna closed her eyes and shrieked as her body smacked into a placid, freezing surface. Water ballooned out around her, and she sunk down into its depths.

Terna reacted instinctively: flailing through the frozen waters until she managed to claw her way back to the surface. She threw her head back with a gasp, water gurgling up in her throat and heaved herself, choking violently, over the rim of the water bed.

It took Terna a few moments to get her bearings before she hoisted her again naked and now dripping wet body from the water. It felt like there were a million icicles crawling along her new skin; they clung to her body and made it a shivering mess.  
Terna cursed her own frailness as her knees buckled when she attempted to walk, and she fell on all fours, retching and still fighting for air.

Once she'd gotten her breathing under control, the Lyall flopped down onto her side, facing the body of water that she'd abruptly tripped into. Her eyes widened.

"It's a bloody swimming pool!" she cried, sitting bolt upright and staring at the Olympic-sized pool. It ran the whole length of the otherwise empty and spacious room, complete with a water slide and rows of plastic lawn chairs for lounging.

"What is with this place?" Terna wondered aloud as she scrambled to her feet, sore, soaked, and newly put out. She snatched the coat from its crumbled heap a short distance away and, tossing it over her shoulders, trooped towards the nearest exit behind the water slide.

Her bare feet slapped against the polished floor as she walked; it made a dejected echo throughout the large room. The chlorine water quickly soaked through the overcoat, turning it into something like a moist, stiff, and foul-smelling carpet. Terna would be grateful when she was able to discard it. If she ever found a wardrobe.

()()()

Terna was understandably cautious as she opened the door that lead out of the swimming pool room and even more cautious as she stepped over the threshold.  
The room beyond was initially dark, but, as Terna entered the room, there was a faint mechanical buzz, and the lights abruptly sprang to life.

Terna's mouth parted in spite of herself. The room was shaped like a dome with a kind of painted mosaic on the ceiling like the Sistine Chapel. The walls were tall, and covered entirely from head to toe in books.  
Shelves upon shelves upon shelves were lined neatly around the circular room with books stacked across each row. There were books of all colors, shapes, and sizes. Some seemed to be yards in length, others smaller than a pocket dictionary. There were books bound in leather, cloth, even skins. Some were just rolls of parchment or scrolls. Some weren't made of paper at all, but rather transparent orbs with multicolored smoke and bizarre lettering in some kind of alien language bobbing around inside it like soap residue in a bubble.

Terna gazed all about her as she walked towards the center of the library, constantly spinning circles so as to view it from all angles. She'd never seen anything like it. In the middle of the polished floor there was a desk about the size and width of three refrigerators laid out on their sides, although squat and low to the ground so that the top only came to the Lyall's waist. A strange assortment of objects was littered not too neatly across the desk's surface.

Terna walked up to the desk, curiosity getting the better of her. The objects turned out to be pieces of clocks. Most were broken; with shattered clogs or bent screws, but some clocks weren't broken at all, so they seemed more like dissected animals: taken apart to see how they worked from the inside.  
The clock fragments were spread out like puzzle pieces across folded and peeling pages of blueprints all scribbled across in a frantic script. Some written in languages Terna recognized, others she'd never seen before.

Slowly, Terna reached out and picked up the nearest cog that seemed to belong to a half-finished clock that had no hands but instead a series of little comets that zipped around the face behind the glass, knocking against the numbers like a bunch of mini-ping pong balls. She held the clog aloft and a flicker of colored light flashed momentarily.

Terna's eyes narrowed as she reached into the pocket of her overcoat and her hand closed around the handle of the antique magnifying glass she'd swiped from the console of the TARDIS. Holding it in front of the object, it was abruptly magnified several times over and Terna could see a curious purple light swirling around inside the little hole in the center of the clog.

Terna set the clog down and eyed the magnifying glass curiously. It seemed to be an utterly arbitrary and insignificant object, but the first thing Lyall learned when they were taught how to harness their unique energy force: Psychic Anima was how to transfer it into everyday objects and manipulate them to their will. Terna didn't know how this body transfer would affect her previously advanced skills. It seemed she would have to start back at square one.

Standing there in the middle of the library, Terna's grip tightened on the polished handle of the glass. She squeezed her eyes shut and sharpened her mind's eyes, searching through the shell of skin for traces of Psychic Anima.

Terna gasped, the glass nearly falling from her hands as her eyes snapped back open. There was nothing there! No Psychic Anima anywhere inside the miserable skin she was now forced to wear like an ugly work uniform.  
There was only Force Anima and that was no good. Force Anima was what kept a Lyall alive, their life force. She couldn't tap into that and use it for manipulation or combat; she'd damage herself and drain her power until she was snuffed out like birthday candle.

"Useless!" Terna cried, flinging her arm out and swiping all of the clocks bits off the table in one fluid motion. They clattered to the floor with a series of crashes and bangs as well as the clinks of shattering glass.

The magnifying glass still clutched tightly in her grasp, Terna sprinted towards the opposite end of the library and the door that lead out. She threw it open and jumped the threshold without a moment's pause, not even caring if she fell into another swimming pool. The door banged shut on its own behind her, knocking Terna into the room with a little more force than she would have liked.

She fell forward slightly and staggered into a row of suspended wool and leather dangling from a rack. Terna got a face-full of moldy, underused garments.

_Wait…clothes!_ Terna jerked her head up and staggered to her feet. She took a step back; her jaw once again going slack as she gazed up at the room that unfolded around her.

It was another high-ceiling space and shaped like a beehive with several floors that all curled around the rounded walls and stood looking out on the main space, and it was filled with nothing but clothes.  
Clothes hung from various racks in rows upon rows, all layered on top of one another. There were dresses, pants, shoes, costumes of all types, shapes and sizes. The garments were made up of plants, plastics, animal skins, and some Terna couldn't even imagine what they could be made of. A side door opened up into a long hall-like closet filled with more accessories than Terna ever had in her chambers on her home world. She'd never seen so many hats and earrings!

"I found the wardrobe," she declared, shamelessly discarding the soggy, ruined coat and stumbled in amongst the jungle of clothing.

Terna roamed the racks of garments for several minutes; they stood erect, silent like soldiers staring down on her. She couldn't even begin to decide what she wanted to wear. She'd always had brought to her the very best of attire to wear, but never had she had so many choices!

Towards the center of the room, Terna paused for a moment when she spotted a full-length mirror nestled between a multicolored suit and a pin-striped suit with a tan overcoat. She surveyed her bare form imprinted on the glass.

It was a humanoid type, like her true form. So at least she wasn't some kind of bi-pedal lizard. The body was slight and willowy, although also aged and frail-looking. The bones protruded out at her hips and chest, her skin was lined with a series of wrinkles that gathered in folds at certain indents in her body; they gathered to add distinction to her facial features.  
Thereby, perhaps giving her the look of a human female in her early to mid-sixties.

Otherwise, her face was chiseled, sharp, and angular in the jaw with sunken-in cheeks, a smooth brow, and a large nose. Wavy, salt n' pepper hair bloomed from her crown and swept down around her shoulders like a flurry of ash.  
Terna fisted a handful of it and held it in front of her eyes; a new hairstyle was definitely in order. However, it was the eyes that were the most striking; Terna was alarmed to see that they were in fact the same eyes she'd possessed in her true form. Walking closer to the mirror and leaning forward so that her pointed nose was practically touching the glass, Terna could see the thin wisps of blue light swirling around inside her hollow irises like a pair of glass orbs. Force Anima, and it was a brilliant shade of blue. To be frank, it was multiple shades of blue: all different pigments from azure to sapphire, to sky and navy. It was a blue rainbow.

"Lucent, still Lucent," Terna chuckled to herself, pleased with the familiarity.  
There were two types of Lyall in the universe: Lucent and Opaque. Lucent were at odds with their yellow-eyed cousins as they were on complete opposite ends of the morality spectrum. When the universe was first formed, and the Lyall were born from the energy used to create it, the Lucent Lyall sought to create the perfect universe by using their energies to shape more and more races to fill it. Meanwhile, the Opaque sought to create this universal perfection by continuously taking them away until only they remained as they saw only the Lyall fit to remain in the universe. However, that was gone now.

Terna froze as she stared at her reflection. The memories came rushing back as she gazed into her own, deep blue eyes. That's right. There would no longer be the struggle as old as time itself between Lucent and Opaque Lyall for neither was left. There was only her: Terna; the last of them both; the only Lyall left in the entire universe.

The reality of this revelation flooded Terna's insides; she suddenly felt very exposed and cold all over, and she doubted it was from her lack of clothing. Terna began to tremble violently as a horrible pain that burned like dry ice welled up in the pit of her stomach. She clutched at her chest and made a kind of choking sound.  
Her parents: her mother the High Queen, her father the Inventor King. Her sisters who ruled beside her, her brothers who charged the Royal Guard to protect them. Her tutors, her playmates, her servants and handmaidens, her subjects, her planet, her people were gone; they were all gone.

Rangi….Even Rangi was gone. And he said he would never leave…No matter what happened. But he was gone…they were all gone now.  
They'd departed from the universe they'd help shape all those millennia ago and left her to drift throughout space alone, like the last autumn leaf left to slowly wither and die on a bare branch.

Terna wrapped her arms around herself as though holding her body tightly would somehow make the emptiness less distinct; as though she could somehow give herself comfort. She couldn't. She couldn't stand the loneliness pressing in around her. Terna sank to her knees in front of the mirror and started sobbing.

* * *

A/N: I wasn't entirely sure what to do with Terna's brief exploration of the TARDIS. This chapter sort of wrote itself, but I think it turned out alright. I hope you agree. In terms of the perspective, it rotates between chapters from first person perspective of Terna, then the Doctor, then third person in that order. Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed this, especially all the foreshadowing wardrobe references :) Read and review!


	4. 100,000 BC- An Unearthly Child

Chapter 4: 100,000 B.C.- An Unearthly Child

* * *

It was a long time before Terna finally pulled herself from her hysteric sobs and sought after an outfit amongst the boundless wardrobe.  
How long, she didn't know or care as she finally selected an ankle-length, midnight blue dress with a halter collar that was bedazzled with silver rhinestones. She also found a series of silver cuff bracelets and a matching woven crown that encircled her forehead. The jewelry was all embellished with a triangle-shaped swirl pattern.

Finishing the ensemble with a pair of silver sandals, Terna then fussed in front of the mirror and twisted her faded hair into a single braid that she then curled up into a bun behind her head. Relatively pleased with her appearance, she finally left the wardrobe room through a side exit and headed back into the labyrinth halls of the TARDIS.  
And thus, the trek began.

Time slowly drifted away from Terna as she sought after answers in the twisted maze of identical white halls, eerily lit and coated in thick shadows. Intent on combing every inch of the space, the Lyall opened every door she came across and tried to go down as many halls as possible, looping, intertwining, and backtracking in the hopes of covering as much ground as she could. Her sense of direction slowly melted away like burning wax on a dying candle as did her sense of reason.

Terna forgot all else as she explored the wonders of the TARDIS, trying to bury her sorrows and worries in the back of her mind and focus solely on her task at hand: finding a way to escape.

The TARDIS was immense in so many ways; Terna's head spun at the mere thought of trying to comprehend it. Beyond the library, the wardrobe, and the pool, there were rooms filled with toys, old furniture, china and glassware, heaps upon heaps of moldy carpets in one room, dozens of antique weapons and armor in another that were all but rusted and decrepit. There was a giant atrium that was filled with hundreds of exotic plants, whose twisted vines coated thickly over every inch of space so that it resembled a jungle. There was even a room filled with nothing but socks. Weird, that was just weird.

Terna stumbled out of the sock room just as an odd feeling washed over her. She suddenly felt light-headed and her limbs went numb. Terna's eyelids felt like they were made of lead as she struggled to stay upright, leaning against a nearby wall for support.

"W-What is this?" she whispered. Was it some kind of malfunction in her skin? Was she ill? Terna staggered a short ways down the hall; her vision blurry as she all but smacked into a door at the end of the hall.  
With a weak groan, Terna leaned against the door and it slowly creaked open. She stumbled over the threshold and collapsed on her knees in the middle of a room that was completely white and completely empty. Terna breathed heavily, feeling the pressure of the emptiness pressing in around her.

"What is this place?" she whispered, glancing around. The room was a color white so clear and pale that it gave the illusion of glowing faintly. The funny ringing in Terna's ears had returned, and it was steadily growing in octave. Terna groaned as she slumped to the ground and curled up in a ball. Closing her eyes, she was asleep within seconds.

()()()

When Terna awoke, an odd kind of light was buzzing before her still closed eyes. She snapped awake with a jolt and sat bolt upright. She was still lying in the middle of the empty, white room although now her body felt alert and refreshed, like she'd just had a nice, warm bath.  
Also, she was also hovering a good four to five feet off the ground.

Terna gave a shout, and she immediately toppled back to the ground like a puppet whose strings had snapped. "What the hell…" her voice trailed off as she sat back up and massaged her head. She'd been sleeping, and she'd been drifting in midair.

_So, this body grows tired like a common humanoid. That's good to know,_ the Lyall thought to herself as she glanced around, trying to pinpoint the source of the light that had awoken her. She quickly surmised that it was coming from behind the now closed door that supposedly led back into the hall. Light was spilling from between the cracks surrounding the frame.

Also wafting from the thin space between the wall and the door was a very peculiar scent. It smelled sweet and spicy, hot and frigid all at the same time. Terna's stomach twisted; it felt hollow beneath her ribs, and her dry mouth started to water.

She crossed the room in a single stride and threw the door open. Beyond it, the hall had disappeared and was replaced with a marble dining room. The space was long and scarcely furnished, filled only with a long table covered in a white cloth as well as every food imaginable: there were meats, pastas, soups, salads, dozens of desserts, as well as treats and meals that were impossible to comprehend let alone describe.  
Terna glanced around the room; she seemed to be alone. Where was the cook? Who had brought the food?

She pondered this, but not for long as her empty stomach was still fiercely gnawing at her insides. Terna quickly sat herself down at the head of the table and gratefully dug into the feast.

()()()

After Terna had eaten her fill, she quickly got up from the table and headed across the room where there was a door that most likely led back to the hall. Now that'd she'd quenched her appetite, it was time to go back to searching for a chance of escape.

Terna quickly turned the handle and thrust the door open, expecting to find more of the empty, lonely hallways slowly winding a twisted and seemingly pointless path through the depths of the TARDIS, but instead…

Terna stepped out into the almost daytime light of the TARDIS Console Room: the same polished white walls and the same console sprouting out of the center like some kind of bizarre flower. The latter hummed faintly in an irrational, irreverent pattern as various multicolored lights flashed weakly across the console circuit board with faint hissing and popping noises. This was just barely marred by the droning humming of 'Yellow Submarine.'

Ignoring the latter, Terna gazed around the TARDIS; her mouth open in blatant shock. How had this happened? How had she ended up back in the Console Room?

"What the…? What?!" Terna cried, just as the Doctor stepped around the console and into her view. He ceased his humming and regarded her incuriously; his lined face breaking into a mocking smile.

"Why, hello, beautiful," he exclaimed.

Terna fumed; her hands curling into fists. "That jarring remark aside," she snapped with forced calmness. "How is it that I ended up back at the point I'd started from?"

"You seemed to have gone 'round in a complete circle," the Doctor replied simply.

"Thanks for that, Captain Obvious," Terna shot back.

"Doctor," the Doctor replied with a wry smile.

Terna sucked in a sharp breath in the hopes of retaining her steadily mounting anger. "Must you be so infuriating?" she snarled through clenched teeth.

"Takes one to know one," the Doctor replied simply.

The tips of Terna's thin lips curled up into the slightest of coy smirks. "Oh come now, Time Lord; that is the lowest form of a witty retort."

"Ah, yes, but it was delivered with such biting disdain," the Doctor replied; his smile broadening before turning back to the console and continuing to fiddle with some exposed wires that were splayed rather carelessly across the dashboard. "That's a rather lovely dress, by the way," he added to Terna; his back still to her. "Blue is a good color on you."

Ignoring him, Terna glanced around the otherwise empty bridge. "Where's the girl?" she inquired.

"Oh, you mean, Susan? She's not here," the Doctor replied.

"What do you mean?"

"She grew tired of waiting in the TARDIS, so she decided to go to school,"

"School? Whatever do you mean by that?" Terna demanded.

"This planet we're on, Earth, takes great pride in their education, and Susan wished to experience it."

Terna blinked in surprise. "We're on a planet?"

"Indeed, and we have been for quite some time," the Doctor replied.

Terna's brow knitted in confusion. "But how? You were airborne when I was ensnared within the TARDIS."

"Yes, well, that was five months ago," the Doctor explained simply.

Terna reared back in shock. "What?! Five months! How…How is that possible? I couldn't have been gone for more than a day and a half."

"Yes, well, time runs differently in the TARDIS," the Doctor replied. "It takes some getting used to, but you'll get the hang of it eventually."

Terna scowled. "That could have been useful information, Time Lord."

"You never asked," the Doctor replied simply, going back to messing with the wires as he spoke.

Terna watched him keenly. "Why in the universe has Susan been going to school for five months on this menial, little mud-ball?

"Well, she needs to have something to do while we're stuck," the Doctor stated.

"Stuck? What do you mean stuck?" Terna cried.

"You heard me," the Doctor retorted. "In case you hadn't noticed, we'd crashed onto this planet and now we're trapped here. The TARDIS is too damaged to move at the moment."

"Oh that's just brilliant!" Terna threw her hands up in dismay.

"You have nobody to blame but yourself for this mess," the Doctor assured her.

"Hey, I wasn't _trying_ to crash into your time machine. I'm not accountable for your poor driving skills, old man," Terna shot back.

"I'm not old! I'm only four hundred and six," the Doctor asserted.

Terna crossed her arms with a snort. "Could have fooled me."

The Doctor looked miffed. "Oh, why don't you just go back into the TARDIS corridors and leave me alone? You're breaking my concentration."

"What are you doing anyways?" Terna asked.

"What I've been doing for the last five months! Trying to fix the TARDIS," the Doctor replied. "Do you think I want to stay on this back-water world? Of course not! I want off this rock as soon as possible. However, I haven't the foggiest idea how to repair the damage you caused. Your energy signature is frying the circuitry."

Terna arched an eyebrow. "Have you tried reading the instruction manual?"

"Good heavens no!" The Doctor asserted as though this was obvious. "Why would I read that useless hunk of lettering?"

Terna sighed. "Great, just great."

The Doctor regarded her thoughtfully. "You know, Terna, I think the reason you haven't been able to detach yourself from the TARDIS heart is that it isn't properly repaired. I found during my tinkering that the machine tends to shut down its systems until it is functioning properly. Perhaps, once it is fully operational again, you may be able to pull free."

Terna perked up. "Do you honestly think that?"

"It's a possibility."

"Then, get moving on this hunk of space junk!" Terna exclaimed. "Don't just stand here talking to me."

"Then stop being distracting," the Doctor shot back. "And the TARDIS is a master of trans-dimensional engineering; it is not junk."

Terna sighed, rubbing the space between her eyes. "God, you're unbelievable."

()()()

Terna sat slumped in an Egyptian throne she'd found conspicuously sitting in the corner of the time machine's bridge. She had no idea what it was doing there, but she was too annoyed to ask. She had absolutely nothing to do until the TARDIS was properly fixed, and she had no desire to go back into the hallways and continue her now proven pointless wandering. At that moment, she heard the faint 'beep' of the machine's double doors opening, and the Doctor sidled in, lugging a box full of wires, nuts, bolts, and screws under one arm and a large potted plant under the other.

"What's that?" Terna asked, perking up a fraction of an amount.

"These are some loose machine workings I found lying around. I'm hoping some might be able to replace the broken parts of the TARDIS," the Doctor replied, heaving the box onto the console beside the spot his was currently working on. "And this is a ficus, a kind of domestic house plant."

"Why do you need a ficus to repair the TARIDS?" Terna inquired.

"I don't," the Doctor asserted.

"Then why did you bring it in here?"

"I like it."

Terna opened her mouth to respond, and then closed it again.

Setting the ficus tree down beside Terna and her Egyptian throne, the Doctor then proceeded to unload the many different parts from the box. Most were worn or broken and wouldn't be useful, but he found a few that seemed to be compatible and set to work on replacing them with the broken TARDIS parts. Terna shot the ficus plant a pointed sideways glance, before she leaned back in her chair and lazily watched the Doctor work.

At one point, the Doctor suddenly looked up. "Terna, you wouldn't happen to have any mercury on you, would you?"

"Why in God's name would I-?" Terna was interrupted by the sound of a shrill phone ring.

She started in surprise. The Doctor, however, didn't miss a beat and quickly grabbed an old-fashioned, handheld phone from the other side of the TARDIS circuit board.

"Hello?" There was a brief pause as the Doctor listened to the other end of the phone line. "Alright, Susan," he added in response. "Don't stay too long…Alright, bye." He set the phone down. "Susan is staying after school to talk with one of her teachers," he explained to Terna. "She called ahead to let me know she'd be late coming home."

"You talk to me like I care," Terna grumbled in response.

The Doctor glared at her. They then lapsed into an empty silence filled only momentarily and rarely by the clinking of the machinery or the Doctor mumbling under his breath as he fiddled with the elaborate contraption.

Terna watched him with barely suppressed intrigue, wondering how the Doctor would be able to repair a machine so boundless and complex.

"Must you insist on sitting there, staring at me while I'm trying to work?" the Doctor broke the silence as he whirled to face her. "I can feel your eyes burning holes into the back of my skull."

"It's an improvement. Trust me," Terna shot back.

"If you've nothing better to do, might I suggest getting a breath of fresh air?" the Doctor stated in a strained tone.

"What?" Terna demanded.

"You know, leave the TARDIS and take a stroll through the city. It's actually rather pleasant, and the weather's been very temperate as of late."

"I can't do that; I can't leave the TARDIS if I'm a part of it," Terna asserted.

"How do you know? You've never tried," the Doctor insisted.

Terna started at him, eyebrows raised. She hated even inwardly admitting he had a point. Scrambling to contain her pride, she stiffly rose to her feet and headed towards the doors. The Doctor opened them for her, pulling a button on the console.

Not bothering to thank him, Terna strode out of the TARDIs and was instantly submerged in a thick, frigid mist that clung to her body like a damp, wool coat. She stopped as a feeling like frozen needles raced up and down her bare arms.

She gazed around, but she could see very little of her immediate surroundings as everything was obscured in a thick, pearly mist. It even blocked sound.  
If there was supposedly a city nearby, all sounds of it was lost in the moist haze, and the only sights of it were the fuzzy bubbles of light from streetlamps and windows bleeding through the fog. Terna could feel moisture settling on her long eyelashes; blinking rapidly, she took a few cautious steps forward, her sandals slapping against worn, cold stone.

She'd barely gone a few paces before she walked into a box lying on the ground. She gazed down at it in surprise to see that it was filled to the brim with a number of broken or shattered glassware. Looking around again, Terna could faintly see the jagged outlines of piles upon piles of nameless junk stacked up against the perimeter of a high-walled space like some kind of twisted mountain range of garbage.  
The TARDIS was right smack in the middle of the junkyard, standing erect and alone like some forgotten sentry.

Terna breathed heavily, losing it within the clouds of fog. Despite the chill, it did feel pleasant and fresh outside, and the atmosphere gave an odd tingle to her new skin that left her buzzing and giddy.  
Terna took a few more steps, carefully picking her way over the lesser piles and bins of discarded items. The farther away from the TARDIS she got, the bigger the balloon of happiness swelled in her chest.  
A smile played at the corners of her mouth at the realization that she could move about outside the TARDIS. There was enough Force Anima in her skin to keep her away from the device at least for a short time. Her prison chain had been given some slack, and Terna could have laughed out loud for it.

"Oh, Terna, while you're out there; do you think you could grab one of those light bulbs from the box beside the TARDIS? The bulb I have in here is starting to dim."  
The Lyall jumped slightly at hearing the Doctor's voice; she'd almost forgotten he was there. Turning back around to face the TARDIS, Terna was alarmed to see that it had taken the shape of some kind of tall, wooden box. It was painted bright blue with POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX written across the top in big, white letters. The door had little windows at the top and sides and there was a little phone box attached to the front entrance.  
A waterfall of light spilled out of the TARDIS's open doors, and it bathed the misty yard in an eerie, yellow glow. Beyond the doors, Terna could faintly see a section of the Console Room still as wide and empty as when she'd been inside it.

"Bigger on the inside," she breathed before stooping to collect a smooth, white bulb from a box beside the TARDIS door and heading back into the machine. Her amazement and bewilderment at the device was enough to deter her prideful fury at being asked to fetch something for the Time Lord.

The Doctor's back was to Terna when she reentered the TARDIS, and he was once again engrossed in his work.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"What's what?" he replied without turning around.

"The TARDIS: according to rumor the devices of the Time Lords change shape depending on where they go in time and space, right? So, what is it now?"

"A police box," the Doctor replied. "We landed in London England in 1963, and so the TARDIS took that shape to blend in."

"A police box?" Terna arched an eyebrow. "What's that?"

The Doctor paused. "I don't really know to be honest," he replied. "Perhaps, Susan will; she's bound to have learned a good deal about the humans during her time among them."

"You should hope she hasn't suffered any damage from melting brain cells while interacting with those filthy apes," Terna stated. She was startled when the Doctor whipped around to face her.

"The humans are _not_ filthy," he thundered, brandishing a screwdriver aloft as though he planned to use it as a weapon. The look in his eyes was alarming as they boiled with anger.

Terna gripped the magnifying glass she'd hidden in the pocket of her dress. "What are you on about?" she demanded.

"Nothing" the Doctor relented, turning from her. "Would you screw that bulb in over there? I need to finish this."

Terna gritted her teeth as she released her hold on her magnifying glass and turned toward the slot the Doctor had indicated.  
With some precision, she screwed the bulb into place. It buzzed faintly before flickering to life. The Lyall watched as the bulb's light illuminated the TARDIS console and the darker portions of the exposed inner workings the Doctor had opened in order to repair them.

"Much better," he declared, bending over further to look at a particular spot before there was a shrill 'pop', and the light bulb suddenly exploded like a soap bubble, spewing flecks of pearly glass all over the place like a brief snow shower. Terna leapt back with a slight shriek as the TARDIS was suddenly plunged into total darkness.

"You're a marvelous engineer, Terna," the Doctor grumbled through the dark.

"Shove it, Time Lord," Terna snapped back just as the beep of the doors sliding open could be heard. They both turned their way towards the slightly brighter outside as Susan stepped into the ship, trailing mist behind her like clinging cobwebs.

"Grandfather, I'm home!" Susan paused in the doorway. "Why are the lights off?" As soon as she spoke, they flickered back on, and Susan's eyes widened at the sight of Terna.

"Oh! It's you," she exclaimed.

"How was school today, Susan?" the Doctor inquired of her.

Susan wilted. "Oh, I'm so embarrassed," she wailed.

"What happened?" Terna asked, hardly curious.

"I answered a question in history class, and I got it wrong because I said the decimal system and that hasn't been invented yet!" Susan explained. "Everyone laughed and Ms. Wright was real cross with me."

The Doctor sighed. "Susan, if you want to go to school, you mustn't make a nuisance of yourself or be disruptive in class."

"But Ms. Wright called on me!" Susan protested. "I had no choice but to answer."

"Why do you even bother mucking about with those primitive ingrates anyways?" Terna inquired dryly, spotting the Doctor glowering at her out of the corner of her eye. "You could be here, helping your grandfather fix the TARDIS. You know, being productive," she added to Susan.

Susan shot Terna a look. "I don't see _you_ doing anything" she snapped back.

"I'm trying to find a way out of this trash heap, or have you forgotten?" Terna replied, slightly exasperated. "What happens to you and your grandfather is no concern of mine. However, I might have a better chance of working an escape if this hunk of junk was working properly."

Ignoring Terna's quips, Susan turned back to the Doctor. "You aren't angry with me, are you, Grandfather?"

"Of course not, Susan," the Doctor replied, "but you must remember to be a little more careful next time."

"Okay, I will," Susan replied. At her words, the Doctor gave her a grim smile before brushing past the girl and heading outside.

"Where are you going?" Terna called after him.

"To get another light bulb," the Doctor replied, a certain edge to his voice as the door shut behind him.

"What's his problem?" Terna wondered aloud.

"You really mustn't speak so harshly of the humans in front of my grandfather, Terna," Susan advised her.

"Why ever not?" Terna demanded. However, she was abruptly silenced with the sound of two voices outside that seemed to be interrogating the Doctor.

"Who's that?" Susan cried, her eyes growing wide.

Terna stared at the door; her expression hard. "You weren't followed, where you, Susan?"

"Of course not," the girl replied. "I always make sure to check several times, so I'm absolutely certain."

"You _clearly_ weren't careful enough!" Terna cried, grabbing the girl's shoulders and shaking her slightly. "Do you have any idea what the humans would do if they found this place? I know what they're like, and it's not exactly kind and hospitable."

Susan whimpered.

"Who's in there?" someone from outside suddenly called. "Susan, is that you?" Terna and Susan both froze, staring intently at the still closed doors.

"Do you think the humans will hurt my grandfather?" the young girl whispered.

"You should worry more about what they're going to do to us," Terna replied grimly.

"Grandfather, are you alright?" Susan cried forlornly.

"Shut up," Terna hissed, slapping a hand over her mouth.

"Susan?" A woman's voice called. "Susan, is that you?"

"There's no one in there," the Doctor asserted.

"We heard a girl's voice inside that box," a man's voice asserted.

"You're hearing things," the Doctor replied, an edge to his voice. "Why would anyone be inside a simple cupboard like that?"

"Then it wouldn't be unreasonable to let us have a look inside then, would it?" the young man replied.

Terna winced. "I hope you're grandfather's a smooth talker. These people are persistent."

"There is no one in there," the Doctor continued to insist.

"You must help us, sir," the woman interjected. "We're two of Susan's teachers from school. We saw her go into this junkyard, and we haven't seen her come out."

"I knew you were followed," Terna grumbled to Susan.

"Yes, now that I hear it further, it sounds like my history teacher Ms. Wright and my chemistry teacher Mr. Chesterton," the young girl replied weakly.

"Well, I'm afraid I have no knowledge of the whereabouts of this student of yours," the Doctor replied coolly. "I suggest you leave here."

"Not until we're satisfied that Susan isn't here," the man replied adamantly. "Frankly, sir, I don't understand your attitude," he added.

"Yours leaves a lot to be desired," the Doctor shot back.

"Just open the door," the man pressed.

"There's nothing in there," the Doctor insisted.

"Then what are you afraid to show us?" the man continued to verbally wrestle with the Doctor.

"We're getting nowhere," Terna grumbled, "At this rate, we may have to kill these meddlesome humans,"

"Oh don't say that," Susan wailed, "They're my teachers."

"I'm afraid of nothing," the Doctor declared. "Now, get out of here,"

"I think we better go to a policeman," the man said as an aside to the woman, who had remained silent for a while.

"Go ahead," the Doctor replied.

"And you're coming with us," the man continued.

"Oh, am I?" the Doctor's tone was patronizing. "I don't think so, young man. I don't think so."

"I'm growing impatient with this," Terna gritted her teeth.

"We can't force him to come," the woman whispered to the man.

"Yes, but we can't just leave him either," the man replied. "Isn't it obvious to you that he's got her locked up in there?"

"Oh, they're going to hurt my grandfather," Susan cried, moving as though she wanted to go outside after him.

"Stay put," Terna forcefully held her back.

"There's no knob on this door," the man continued.

"That was Susan's voice," the woman agreed.

"Susan!" the man called. "Susan, can you hear me?"

Terna looked pointedly to the girl. "Not a sound."

"Don't you think you're being a little high-handed, young man?" the Doctor snorted. "You obviously fantasized a young girl entering this yard, and you imagined you heard her voice coming out of an old police box. It's not very substantial, is it?"

"Why won't you help us?" the woman cried.

"I'm not hindering you," the Doctor asserted. "If you both want to make fools of yourselves, I suggest you go do what you said you'd do: go and find a policeman."

"Oh, and while you pop off quietly in the other direction?" the man demanded knowingly.

"Oh, I shall be here when you get back," the Doctor replied calmly. "There's only one way in or out of this yard; I'm not going anywhere. And besides, I want to see your faces when you try to explain your actions to a policeman."

"But the TARDIS is broken," Terna muttered. "How would we get away then?"

"Never the less, we're going to find a policeman," the man declared. "Come on, Barbara," he added to the woman.

"They're going to get my grandfather in trouble," Susan cried, "I have to help him!" She then elbowed Terna back and wriggled from her grasp, knocking Terna's magnifying glass out of her hand.

"Get back here, you stupid girl!" Terna snarled as the young Time Lady sprinted for the door. "Grandfather!" she cried, thrusting it open.

The man outside dove for the now partially open door. "It _is_ her!" he cried, followed by the Doctor's protesting shout at he attempted to wrestle the man away from the door. Meanwhile, the woman managed to slip through.

"Barbara!" the man called as the woman entered the TARDIS but froze on the threshold; her eyes going wide as her expression unfolded to one of shock at the sight of a much bigger space than she'd thought was in the blue box.  
At the sight of the human woman, Susan staggered back with a surprised cry, and Terna grabbed the ficus tree by the trunk and held it threateningly like a spear. The man soon followed the woman as she remained motionless where she stood, and he too froze in shock as he gazed around him at the seemingly impossible display before him.

The Doctor sidled in after them, draping his disheveled scarf loosely over his shoulders.  
"Close the door, Susan," he said to the young girl, "And, Terna, put down that tree. You look silly."  
Susan obliged, pressing a button, and the doors slid shut as Terna put down the tree and grabbed her magnifying glass from the floor, gripping it tightly just in case.

The humans turned slowly around and watched with glazed expressions as the doors slowly slid shut. "I believe these people are known to you," the Doctor said to Susan.

"Yes, they're two of my school teachers," she admitted.

"Clearly, she didn't check well enough to see if she was being followed," Terna declared, before sitting down once again on the Egyptian throne; the two humans didn't seem openly hostile, but she kept a pointed eye on them all the same.

"What are you doing here?" Susan demanded of her teachers.

"Where are we?" the woman called Barbara asked.

"That ridiculous school," the Doctor grumbled. "I knew something like this would happen."

"I-Is this where you live, Susan?" Barbara stammered.

"Yes," Susan replied quietly.

"And what's wrong with it?" the Doctor demanded defensively.

"But it was just a telephone box," the man whispered, his voice trailing off.

"Oh, so _that's_ what this thing is," Terna exclaimed.

Barbara whirled to face her. "Who are you? Are you Susan's grandmother?"

Terna's expression contorted into a look of boiling rage. "How dare you-!" she cried, leaping back to my feet.

"Terna, not now," the Doctor pointedly cut her off.

"But this is your grandfather?" Barbara asked after the Doctor.

"Yes," Susan confirmed.

"Well, why didn't you tell us that?" Barbara asked him.

"I don't' make habit of discussing my private life with strangers," the Doctor replied dismissively.

"But it's just a police box," the man repeated, seemingly unable to get over this fact. "I walked all 'round it. How is this possible?"

"You don't deserve any explanation. You pushed your way in here uninvited and unwelcome," the Doctor replied coldly, striding across the room and began keenly observing an antique birdcage. Terna watched him intently; he was awfully calm given the circumstances.

"Ian," Barbara gripped the man's coat. "I think we ought to go."

"Just a moment," the man, Ian, pushed Barbara from him and advanced towards the Doctor. "I know this is absurd; I walked all 'round it." Ian tried to talk to the Doctor, but he seemed too focused on the birdcage.

"Oh dear, it would seem its finally starting to gather a bit of rust. I'll have to find some way to remedy that." He glanced up in apparent surprise to find Ian still standing there. "Hmm? Oh you wouldn't understand," the Doctor replied dismissively, striding distractedly back over to the console.

"But I _want_ to understand!" Ian insisted.

"Yes, yes, yes." The Doctor was heavily ignoring him now as he took off his overcoat and hung it on a nearby coatrack. "By the way, Susan," he called to the young girl, "I managed to find a replacement for that one filament. It's not exact, but it should do the job well enough."

"Time Lord, have you forgotten that there are a pair of humans standing in the middle of the TARDIS?" Terna demanded. The Doctor ignored her too.

"It's an illusion; it must be," Ian exclaimed to Barbara.

"Oh, what's he talking about now?" the Doctor inquired of Susan, only half paying attention as he fiddled with a few knobs on the console.

"Oh, why did you have to come here?" Susan cried helplessly to her two teachers.

They weren't given time to respond as the Doctor abruptly straightened up. "You humans see something you don't understand, then you make up some kind of excuse. Illusions indeed!" He turned back around to face Ian and Barbara. "You say that you can't fit an enormous building into one of your smaller sitting rooms?"

"No, of course not," Ian replied.

"But, you've discovered television, haven't you?" the Doctor offered.

"Uh, yes," Ian wavered.

"Then by displaying a large building on the screen, you can do what was originally thought to be impossible, couldn't you?"

"Well, yes," Ian relented, "But-"

"Oh, no, no, no. Not quite clear, is it?" the Doctor chided. "I can see by your face you're not certain. You don't understand." The Doctor laughed at this. "And I knew you wouldn't."

Terna rolled her eyes. "Time Lord," she called, getting to her feet.

"Terna, if you don't mind, I'm trying to have a scientific debate with this young man," the Doctor called to her.

"That's all fine and well," Terna affronted him, walking abrasively up to him with her hands on her hips. "However, what do you intend to do with them? They cannot return to their world knowing what they know, nor can they remain here. We are not keeping them as some kind of pet, if that's you what you intend."

"Of course not," the Doctor shot back before turning back to the two humans. "The point is not whether or not you understand, but what is going to happen to you. Terna is right, Susan," he said to the girl. "They'll tell everyone about the ship."

"Ship?" Ian asked.

"Yes, yes, ship," the Doctor sounded slightly exasperated at the relentless questions of the male human. "This doesn't roll along on wheels, you know."

"You mean, it _moves_?" Barbara cried.

"The TARDIS can go anywhere," Susan replied.

"TARDIS? I don't understand you, Susan," Barbara said.

"I made up the name TARDIS from the initials," Susan explained. "Time And Relative Dimensions In Space."

"One would think you'd be able to understand that once you saw the different dimensions outside from inside," Terna added.

"Let me get this straight," Ian still seemed to be struggling, which somewhat amused Terna. "A thing that looks like a police box, standing in the middle of a junkyard, it can move anywhere in time and space?"

"Yes," Susan replied.

"Quite so," the Doctor added.

"But that's impossible," Ian cried.

"Oh, why won't they believe us?" Susan demanded.

"Because they're thick," Terna replied dryly.

"How _can_ we believe you?" Barbara demanded.

"Now, now, don't get exasperated, Susan," the Doctor consoled his granddaughter. "Remember, when the Native Americans first saw the great steam train, their savage minds thought it an illusion too."

"You're treating us like children," Ian snapped.

"You constant questions certainly alludes to children," Terna observed.

"Honestly, the children of my civilization would be insulted," the Doctor added.

"As would mine," Terna agreed for once with the Time Lord.

"Your civilization?" Ian cried.

"Yes, haven't you ever wondered what it's like to be wanderings in the fourth dimension?" the Doctor asked, "Because, that's what we are. Exiles…" the Doctor trailed off.

"I tolerate this century and planet, but I don't like it," Terna added.

"Yes, Susan and I are cut off from our own planet, while Terna was left behind when her people fled this universe to space unknown."

"I hope to remedy that shortly," Terna added.

"Yes, one day perhaps we'll all go home," the Doctor seemed thoughtful. "Yes, one day."

"It's true, every word of it," Susan insisted to her teachers. "You don't know what you've done coming here." She turned to the Doctor, grabbing his arm to forcefully turn him towards her. "Grandfather, let them go now. Please,"

"What? Are you mental?" Terna cried. "After what they've seen and been told?"

"Look, if they don't understand, they can't hurt us at all," Susan continued to plead with her grandfather. "I understand these people better than you; their minds reject things they don't understand."

The Doctor glanced at Ian and Barbara, than to Susan, then back again. "No. Like this, we cannot let them go."

"Oh, but you must!" Susan cried.

"You can't just keep us here forever!" Barbara added, and Ian started forward towards the Doctor, but Terna stepped between them, brandishing her glass.

"I can't very well set you loose on the world either," the Doctor replied calmly, "but you are right, we can't just keep you in here either. You're bound to cause even more trouble for us." The Doctor paused; his expression ponderous.

"Wait, perhaps we could wipe their memories!" Susan suddenly cried.

"Do what?" Ian sounded horrified.

"And how would we manage that?" the Doctor demanded.

"Terna can do it," Susan replied. Terna glanced at her, startled. "The Lyall can do that, can't they?" she asked earnestly.

Terna's insides twisted. She honestly didn't know if she'd be capable of such a feat in her current state. She knew she possessed the skill and had used it before in her previous form, but now, like this. Would she be able to achieve it?

"Susan, that is an excellent idea," the Doctor commended. "Terna," he added, turning to her, "Why don't you go ahead with that and then we can be on our way."

Terna hesitated slightly, but her pride forced her hand. "Very well," she whispered.

She grabbed the man called Ian by the wrist, and he immediately started wrestling in her grasp.

"No, you can't!" Barbara wailed, but Terna ignored her.

"Get your hands off me, woman!" Ian cried.

"Be still" Terna commanded, but Ian staggered back and slipped from her hand.

"Watch out, Mr. Chesterton!" Susan screamed as Ian tripped backward and fell across the TARDIS console, smashing heavily into the damaged workings the Doctor had been tinkering with.

"NO!" the Doctor cried, but it was too late. The console jumped to life with stunted and erratic flashes of light and sound, dozens of colored lights jumped around Ian ,and he screamed with a mixture of pain and alarm.

"Ian!" Barbara cried, rushing to pull him from the damaged console.

"What have you done?" the Doctor cried, attempting to go to the console, but the TARDIS lurched suddenly with a violent shutter, knocking him on his face.

Susan and Barbara both screamed, and Ian fell to the ground as the TARDIS knocked and tossed itself about the time stream like a boat caught in a storm. Terna reached for a nearby chair to steady herself but missed the handle and fell to the floor.  
The lights flickered on and off as the brightness of the TARDIS console grew stronger. There was a harsh whirling sound like the roar of broken propellers before everything went dark.

The time machine plunged through the Time Vortex with great force, tossing its passengers around like a salad. Terna squeezed her eyes shut as the motion continued, alluding to an earthquake. There was a shrill, screeching sound like that of a tornado, and it forced Terna to put her hands over her ears to stifle it even slightly.

Then, suddenly, everything stopped; the machine crashed to a halt like it had hit a brick wall, and then went eerily quiet.

Terna slowly opened her eyes to see that the lights were flickering weakly back on and everyone was picking themselves up.  
She slowly got to her feet as well, noting the Doctor and Susan's expressions of growing concern. She glanced towards the humans as Barbara attempted to help Ian to his feet.

The TARDIS was still, but beyond it was no longer the hushed quiet of the city; a howling wind could be heard beating against the walls of the machine.

One thing was certain: they weren't in London anymore.

Terna sucked in a sharp breath. "What have they done?" she whispered.

* * *

A/N: And now we have Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright on board. Where have they taken them? Stay tuned…


	5. 100,000 BC- The Cave of Skulls

Chapter 5: 100,000 B.C.- The Cave of Skulls

* * *

So, as if things couldn't possibly get any worse for me, I have now been abruptly flung to a random point in space and time, in a faulty time machine, all thanks to the blundering actions of two meddling humans. Great, just great

As I picked myself up from the TARDIS floor, I tried to ignore the dull throbbing in my forehead which had collided with the floor when I'd toppled over. I glanced up to see the Doctor frantically fiddling with the disheveled TARDIS controls, brow knitted in worry and desperate concentration as he muttered to himself.

"Is everything alright, Grandfather?" Susan called from the darkness, for the only light was the weak flicker of the console that saw to illuminate only the Doctor and myself.

"Alright? Alright? Of course everything's not alright," the Doctor exclaimed in frustration. "I have absolutely no idea where or when we are."

"What do you mean you don't know where we are?!" I exclaimed, hauling myself to my feet. "Isn't that your job?"

"Well, yes, but in case you hadn't noticed that human broke the console," the Doctor snapped back, "and that wouldn't' have happened if you had wiped his memory properly."

"How is this my fault?!" I cried, stamping my foot in frustration. "I wasn't the one who tripped into the device; you have the undexterous human to blame for that. I can't help that I require physical contact to tamper with a being's mind."

"Then maybe you Lyall aren't as powerful as you think."

"I'll have you know, Time Lord-"

"Would you two stop arguing for five minutes?" Susan exclaimed in exasperation. "The humans are coming to."

"Oh, are they?" the Doctor asked, without turning around as he flicked a switch, and the TARDIS lights fizzled back on, although the energy seemed considerably paler and weaker than before.  
The two humans, meanwhile, were both groggily sitting up from some kind of inter-dimensional-induced unconsciousness.  
As the lights slowly but surely came back on, I was able to get a proper look at the two of them. The woman named Barbara, who was sprawled across the Egyptian throne, had clear, clean features, dark, vibrant eyes, and black hair that puffed up from her head in a very odd fashion. The man called Ian, who was lying on his face beside the chair, was lighter haired and eyed with a kind of average handsomeness about him. He sat up with a groan, curtly massaging a growing bruise on the back of his skull.

"Ian, are you alright?" Barbara asked, getting up from the throne and hurrying over to his side.

"Yes, I think so," Ian replied slowly.

"For the moment," I muttered to myself.

"The movement's stopped," Ian observed.

"Yes, we seemed to have landed," the Doctor mused as he fiddled with a certain knob. There was a dull static noise and a kind of screen suspended from the ceiling in the corner of the Console Room suddenly jumped to life. A dismal scene was displayed upon it: the image of a pale, lonely desert covered in faded white sand and thorny bushes; a wind howled across the landscape and buffeted against the sides of the TARDIS as though it wanted to get in to escape the cold outside.

"Sand and rock formations that are categorized in a unique climate and era. Good, we are still on Earth at least," the Doctor mused.

"All systems are stabilized now, Grandfather," Susan reported from the other end of the monitor.

"Now it's just a matter of finding out when we are," I stated, crossing my arms.

"Yes, yes, momentarily," the Doctor replied, stooping slightly, so his weak eyes could peer at a small reading screen. "Zero? Well, that's not right," he exclaimed. "It would seem this era of Earth's time is not being calculated properly."

"Or it's simply before they kept a reading of that sort of thing," I offered.

"You mean, 'B.C.'?" Susan asked.

"Look outside, it speaks for itself," I replied, gesturing to the screen.

"Well, at any rate, the TARDIS seems to have stabilized at least," the Doctor declared before turning around and finally noticing Ian and Barbara still on the floor. "What are you doing down there?" he asked of them.

"What have you done?" Barbara demanded.

"Barbara, you can't possibly believe this nonsense?" Ian exclaimed.

"Look at the scanner screen," Susan insisted.

"Yes indeed," the Doctor agreed, "We are definitely somewhere, and that somewhere is not London in your era, young man."

At this, both Ian and Barbara scrambled to their feet and hurried over to get a better look at the view screen.

"There, see? A new world for you," the Doctor gestured grandly.

"Sand and rock." Ian seemed unimpressed.

"That's the immediate view anyways," the Doctor replied.

"But where are we?" Barbara demanded.

"You mean that's what we'll see when we go outside?" Ian exclaimed, pointing at the screen.

"Yes," Susan replied.

"I don't believe it!" Ian cried.

"You really are a stubborn young man," the Doctor observed.

"Then give me some proof, some concrete evidence," Ian exclaimed.

"Just like a human," I rolled my eyes, "Too dense to see what's right under their noses."

"You think I'm a charlatan, do you?" the Doctor chided as he casually strolled around the console.

"Just open the doors, Dr. Foreman," Ian cried.

The Doctor paused. "Dr. Who?" he asked "Foreman is the name of the junkyard we were in, not _my_ name, you moron."

"Semantics, Time Lord," I chimed in. "And if you are going to open the doors, might I suggest you clarify that we'll be able to_ breath_ once we do venture outside?"

"Oh, yes, that is a good point," the Doctor admitted, moving back over to the console as I threw up my hands in exasperation. "Well, the air is reading normally," he announced, after a brief glance at the monitor. "Good. Yes, very good. What's the radiation reading, Susan?"

"It's reading normal, Grandfather," the girl replied.

"Good. Now, you still challenge me, young man?" the Doctor asked Ian.

"If you would just open the doors, you can prove your point," Ian insisted.

"You're so narrow-minded, aren't you?" the Doctor smiled smugly. "Well, allow me to broaden it a little, we are back in time after all."

"That's utterly ridiculous," Ian insisted. "Time doesn't go 'round and 'round in circles. You can't get on and off whenever you like."

"Oh really," the Doctor smirked coyly, "Then where does it go?"

"Everything in the universe is interchangeable, human," I said to Ian. "All of space and time is interwoven and can all be rooted back to the same beginning and the same ending. Therefore, it is indeed possible to move through different factions of it; it's as simple as moving down a different branch of a tree."

"A good analogy, Terna," the Doctor commended. "Not the one I would have used, but a good one all the same. Now then, if I opened the doors, would that satisfy you?" the Doctor asked Ian.

"Yes," Ian replied.

"Very well then," the Doctor pulled a lever on the console, and the doors to the TARDIS slowly swung open with the same mechanical buzz. As they parted, a view identical to that on the screen grew wider and wider: a desolate desert scene that stretched out across the horizon and vanished into the light of a fresh and relatively new sun, hanging suspended in the cloudless sky.

Ian's jaw went slack. "It's not possible," he whispered.

"I have no more time to argue with you," the Doctor declared, grabbing his scarf and heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" I demanded.

"Out to explore, of course," the Doctor replied. "This is an opportunity I so rarely pass up."

"Shouldn't you stay here and finish repairing the TARDIS, so that this kind of thing doesn't happen again?"

"Oh, we'll have plenty of time for that later," the Doctor replied, waving his hand dismissively. "Now, grab your coat, Susan, and you two are free to come along as well, if you like," he added to Ian and Barbara.

"You don't know what's out there, Time Lord," I reminded him, sitting back down in the Egyptian throne.

"That's precisely why I wish to venture out and see for myself," the Doctor asserted, taking his coat from the rack and throwing it over his shoulders, "And since the TARDIS wont' tell me the exact date in which we've landed, I wish to gather a few rock samples and make an estimate."

"Fine, you can go rock hunting, I'll stay here," I declared, promptly crossing my legs for emphasis.

"You don't want to come?" Susan asked.

"No," I replied curtly. "Thank you, but I have no interest in aimlessly wandering about an empty desert and ruining my nice shoes."

The Doctor shrugged. "Fine with me; sit here and sulk then. Also, you might as well make yourself useful, and guard the TARDIS while we're gone."

"Who would steal the TARDIS?" I demanded, but the Doctor was no longer listening as he stepped through the doors and out into the desert, the others filing out after him. "Ugh, whatever," I slumped against the back of the throne and looped my elbows around the armrests. The back of my hand brushed against something large and covered in coarse, brown fur.

I shrieked and propelled myself off the chair so fast it toppled backward and fell to the ground.

"Terna, what is it?" the Doctor demanded as I scrambled over the TARDIS threshold, breathing heavily. From behind me, something scuttled across the floor.

"Why, it's a spider!" Susan exclaimed as the bloated arachnid paused by my foot. I staggered back with another scream.

"Get a hold of yourself, woman," the Doctor snapped at me. "It's just a common brown spider."

"Common? Common! That is _not_ common. It's the size of a dinner plate!" I cried.

"Well, that's to be expected. We are in the distant past after all, and many animals were a lot bigger back then," Susan stated brightly.

"But how did it get in the TARDIS?" I asked.

"It must have crawled in when you opened the door," Ian offered.

"Yes, it would seem we parked right next to a nest of them," the Doctor mused.

"You mean there's more?" Barbara cried, an edge to her voice.

"Around the TARDIS anyway," the Doctor replied simply.

My stomach twisted. More spiders? Dozens of those icky, hairy, bugs were crawling in and around the TARDIS in knotted swarms as we spoke.  
I took a forced breath. "You know, on second thought, I could use a little exercise." I quickly snatched a white fur coat from the coat rack before briskly walking past the Doctor and Susan, who watched me go with a look of confusion.

"It would seem even Lyall have a weakness," the Doctor whispered to her.

"I heard that, Time Lord," I called over my shoulder, "And it is perfectly natural to have an aversion of insects and other crawly things." I cringed again at the thought.

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

As I exited the TARDIS, the doors slowly slid shut behind me. Ian and Barbara stood as still and silent as statues, gazing around with wide eyes filled with childlike wonder. Ian stumbled slightly, seeming dazed where he stood.

"Here. Lean on me," Susan offered.

"No, I'm alright," Ian asserted, rubbing his brow. "I'm alright now. Thanks."

Susan smiled warmly as I tugged my coat tighter around myself. Curse this humanoid skin. It made everything so cold.

Ian gazed around the lonely scape; the silence interrupted only briefly by the sound of a distant bird cry echoing across the desert. "This can't really be happening. There must be some explanation," he whispered.

Barbara just silently shook her head in awe. The Doctor, on the other hand, was staring intently at the TARDIS.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"It's still a police box," he exclaimed, pointing to the time machine. Turning back around, I saw that this was in fact true. The TARDIS was still the same wooden phone box painted deep blue that it had been in the London junkyard.

"Dear, dear, how very disturbing," the Doctor muttered, more to himself than me, as he turned from his machine and headed off down the slope of the small hill the TARDIS was resting on. The ground was loose and broke away under him so that he nearly lost his balance. Susan skipped down the opposite side of the hill, with the two humans close behind, following her like a pair of lost children.

"Why is it such a problem if the TARDIS is still a police box?" I inquired of the Doctor, skidding down the rise after him, my sandaled feet not finding much traction against the soft ground.

"It means the Chameleon Circuit has been damaged," the Doctor explained distractedly as he slowly moved along the crevices that splintered throughout the frigid earth, intently searching for something.

"The Chameleon Circuit?" I asked, watching him as he bent to keenly observe a part of the ground, running his fingers across the soil as though searching for some small increment in particular.

"Yes, yes, the part of the TARDIS that disguises it. A cloaking device, if you will. It protects the TARDIS by allowing it to blend in to its surroundings, and it's supposed to change with every new location."

"But it hasn't," I glanced over my shoulder at the lonely little police box, half sunken into the loose dirt at the top of the hill.

"It's been damaged as well, most likely," the Doctor deduced, selecting a rock the size of his fist and bringing it close to his face so as to examine it. "It would seem the TARDIS has been affected in more ways than I had previously anticipated. This could become a problem for us."

"Need I remind you, Time Lord, there's a nice juicy instruction manual sitting in a comfy armchair in the library. I know; I saw it there," I exclaimed.

"I am not reading that tripe," the Doctor snapped defensively, abruptly tossing the rock in his hand in my direction.

"And why not?" I demanded with a grunt, barely managing to catch the rock. "It's a perfectly obvious solution. I thought you Time Lords were supposed to be logical."

"We are; I just don't agree with the manual. What does it really know about the TARDIS? God, this ground is freezing," the Doctor hissed through gritted teeth as he jammed his hands into the pockets of his coat.

"Kind of backwards, ain't it?" I observed, tossing the rock in my hand to the side. It landed on the ground with a thud, "After all, we're in a desert."

"Yes, yes, thank you, Terna," the Doctor sounded exasperated as he quickly gathered up a half-dozen more rocks and stuffed them into a bag. "But established tertiary conditions on a particular planet are known to change over time. We are in the distance past, after all. That much I know. However, I can't make much more from these rocks' outward appearances. I'm going to have to bring them back to the TARDIS to make a proper analysis."

"I thought someone like you would have gotten glasses by now," I whispered, absentmindedly slipping my own hands into the pockets of my dress. My left hand closed around the handle of my magnifying glass.

"Here, have a glass. This ought to help."

"So eager to help all of the sudden, Terna?" the Doctor asked, accepting the glass with a smirk.

I scowled, but it momentarily softened into an indifferent shrug. "I have nothing better to do."

The Doctor nodded as he bent back over the rock in his hand and held the glass between it and his eye, squinting at it intently. I watched with vague interest until something flashed in the corner of my vision. I, at first, passed it off as a flash of sunlight but the whiff of light flickered again and I saw it for what it was. Blue, a kind of blue fire trailing thinly along the rim of the magnifying glass. My heart stood still. _No, it couldn't be._

"Give that back!" I cried, snatching the glass from the Doctor's hand.

"Excuse me, I was using that," the Doctor asserted, but I ignored him. As I stared at the magnifying glass, the speck of blue in the corner steadily broadened, like the light of a fire slowly spreading as it consumed the wood it soaked energy from. And that's what this was: energy. Trailing up from the glass in flashes of blue fire.  
It matched my eyes.

"Psychic Anima," I breathed. My eyes widened as the image of the ground that was encased in the magnifying glass shimmered slightly and then unfolded, thinning into multiple levels, layers upon layers of a single image all laced on top of each other.  
I could hardly believe it as I watched the Amina in the glass show me the different layers of the ground.

"How is this possible?" I whispered, "The eye of the Lyall trapped within a common glass. My eye…" My voice trailed off as I leaned forward to drink in the sight of the glass, gently moving it back and forth across the ground before me. "I can see it…" I exclaimed, "I can see all that is there before me."  
My face broke into a grin as I moved it towards the Doctor and suddenly he was all spelled out in a neat little row. Humanoid in shape and size with rapid blood flow caused by the signature two hearts of the Time Lords and eyes that were young despite being encased in an aged head.

"So you have your powers back, Lyall?" the Doctor inquired knowingly.  
I didn't respond. The layers here…The glass slid from my hand and fell to the ground with a dull 'thunk'. But I no longer needed it as I gazed skyward. Spread out all around me, in every pore of this planet…I could see it now.  
Psychic Anima filled this place to the brim; like blood filling a heart, it pumped energy and life throughout the seemingly barren world, cycling it through a constant energy struggle between birth and death, creation and destruction.

I spread my arms wide as my wayward Anima clung to my body like morning dew and entered my skin through the pores of my flesh. I closed my eyes as the heat filled my cold, barren body. I could feel it pulsing inside me as though I suddenly had two hearts as well.  
The energy strained against my skin, begging to escape and be released. For a brief moment, I wanted to blow my skin to shreds and sore off into the celestial scape for parts unknown.

But I couldn't do that; I wouldn't survive without a body.

Instead, I gently and neatly folded the Psychic Anima up inside the core of my skin.  
When I opened my eyes, the Doctor was watching me with a look of barely suppressed curiosity. I smiled triumphantly as I stooped down to pick up the fallen magnifying glass. With barely any effort, I feathered my Psychic Amina down the shaft of the object and consumed the glass once again in the ancient blue fire.

"I don't understand this," I replied, turning the glass skyward. "My Force Anima remained within my core within the Heart of the TARDIS, but my Psychic Anima is spread out all over this place. How is that? I've never been here before."

"But you have now," the Doctor replied. "You've been here and there and everywhere."

I stared at him. "What are you on about?"

"Think about it, Terna. You are trapped within the TARDIS, your core essence infused with the Heart. You are a part of the TARDIS, a staggering concept to be certain. However, as the TARDIS can exist everywhere at once, now, so do you."

I stared at the Doctor, eyes wide. "Everywhere?" I breathed.

"Your Psychic Anima seems to have spread out throughout the time stream," the Doctor replied.

"Is there any way to pull it back to me?" I demanded, waving my hand in front of my face.

"Doubtful, until you are removed from the TARDIS that is."

"All the more reason," I whispered flexing my fingers and enjoying the pleasant surge of power rush up my arms. "Seems I can still call it to me temporarily," I breathed.

"Feeling better, Terna?" the Doctor inquired as I genuflected beside him and held the glass in front of the ground. Ignoring him, I studied the layers beneath the surface.

"No wonder it's so cold," I murmured. "It would seem, judging from this thick layer of permafrost, that this planet is coming out of some kind of primitive ice age."

"Ice age?" the Doctor cried. "Well, if that's the case, it would seem dear old Chesterton has sent us back to a time when earth was a new, bright jewel freshly painted across the surface of its lonely little solar system."

"Poetic language aside," I continued, straightening up. "I would have to conclude, judging from the topography of the planet that we are somewhere around the 100,000 B.C. mark.

"Oh really?' the Doctor snorted. "You can tell all that just by bathing your surroundings in a pretty blue light."

"It's not 'light, Time Lord; its Anima," I asserted. "Psychic Anima to be precise, the Anima of the Lyalls' energy that gives them their power."

"As opposed to…?"

"Force Anima which is the life force of the Lyall. Most of mine's trapped in the TARDIS," I replied simply.

"Well, fantastical elements aside," the Doctor got to his feet as well. "I frankly cannot take your word for it. I'm a man of science, Terna, not magic."

"And yet you won't read the TARDIS instruction manual?" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in exasperation.

"Stop not making sense, Terna," the Doctor chided, wiggling a finger in my face before hoisting his bag over his shoulder and fishing around in his pocket until he pulled out a pipe. As he lit it, I turned away and fanned out my fingers; spreading the Anima out between them, I watched the iridescent shades of vibrant blue dance about in the weak light.

"Care for a puff of my pipe, Terna?" the Doctor inquired. "It'll warm you up."

"I think I'm alright," I replied, feeling the heat of my Psychic Anima flow all throughout my body.

"Suit yourself," the Doctor replied, blowing a trail of thin white smoke out from between his pursed lips.

Out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly caught a glimpse of something moving, something large and hairy.

A scream rose up in my throat, expecting another spider.  
The Doctor whipped around too slow as the thing lunged at us from behind. I was struck brutally in the side of the skull and my body went stiff as hundreds of pins and needles rushed up and down my limbs. The scream escaped my lips as a feeble gasp and I fell like a stone.

()()()

I awoke to voices; voices that were garbled and confused as they squabbled amongst themselves in a slow, strangled speech uttered from the tongues of creatures not yet in their prime.  
I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt as heavy as lead; there was a blunt pounding in my head that only increased with the murmuring of the voices.

I felt dizzy and faint, my body swaying side to side. I tried to move but found I couldn't for something was restraining me.  
Suddenly, my body was thrust down onto a hard, cold surface. I tried to assess my surroundings, but my mind was still dazed and confused.  
I could feel binds being tightened around my arms and legs, and I tried to fight against them, but my body was weak and these creatures were strong.

It was only when they finally stepped away from me that I had the strength to open my eyes. Cautiously, I cracked an eyelid and saw that there were dark figures gathered all around me.

I opened my eyes only to the amount that was absolutely necessary so that they still appeared closed and observed my surroundings through my eyelashes. I was lying on my back on a stone altar in the middle of a cave, surrounded by humans.  
But they were not humans like Ian and Barbara; these humans were dirty, ratty, and savage. Their hair was filthy, their clothes made of other animal's skins; they wore no shoes and their eyes were large and dumb in their skulls. They all watched me intently, men, women, and children with those same thoughtless eyes.

"These are strange creatures," one of them spoke, and my head turned ever so slightly to my left to see a man with a scruffy beard dotting his chin and short brown hair that clung choppy and uneven to his scalp.

"Is Za, son of the Fire Maker, afraid of an old man and a woman?" a second man taunted. To my right, there was another man; a dark man clothed in more furs than anyone else present; he had black hair and beard and eyes that were deeply set in the back of his skull, so that you had to look twice to see what they were truly conveying.

"I am not afraid," the first man called Za replied.

"When will Za make fire from his hands?" the second man demanded.

"When the great Orb in the sky presides it," Za started, but the other man cut him off.

"Orb is for strong men; Orb has brought me these creatures. They make fire come from their fingers. I have seen it!" the man addressed the people gathered around him and Za, all of them hanging on to every word he said. "The woman made fire of many colors come from her fingers, and the man's body is full of fire; the smoke came out through his mouth."

Did this savage mean the Time Lord's pipe?

"Lies come out of your mouth, Kal," Za said to the dark-eyed man. I quickly snapped my eyes shut as he bent down over the Doctor and me, gazing at us intently. "They wear strange skins," he murmured.

"Za is afraid!" the dark man called Kal cried. "Za is not a true leader. He cannot make fire like his father. The Fire Maker is dead and now all of you carry dry sticks."  
A murmur rose up from the crowd. "I, Kal, am a true leader," Kal continued. "I have slayed many bears and tigers with my strength and made skins for you all. Now I bring these creatures to you while they slept and soon they shall make fire for you all! Will you sit by and die in the cold like my people did before I found you while you wait for Za to make fire."

"Silence!" Za thundered, waving his club in Kal's face. "You simply want to be leader when that right is mine!"

"You, Za, have many warm skins," a third man with blonde curls around his head and face stepped from the crowd and addressed Za. "You have forgotten what the cold is like."

Za looked flustered. "Tomorrow I shall slay many bears, and you will all have warm skins."

"No, tomorrow you will put your hands together and make fire," the blonde man asserted.

"No, Za will simply put his hands together and wait for Orb to bring fire, but fire will not come," Kal asserted. "If a tiger comes into our cave in the night, Za will give you to the tiger. Za will give you to the cold," he addressed the crowd now. "My creatures can make fire come from their fingers. I have seen it, and I brought them here."

"They are just an old man and woman in strange skins," Za continued to protest.

"There is a strange tree and these creatures came out of it. I have seen it!" Kal cried.

How long had he been watching us? It didn't matter. All this talk of fire was making me increasingly uneasy. I was nearly certain that these creatures were either going to kill us or roast us for dinner.

"Enough of this," I whispered. Mobility restored, I kicked my legs up. A unified cry rose up from the crowd, and Za and Kal jumped back from the altar in shock as I flipped backward and landed on the ground a short distance away. Righting myself, I barely stood upright before I staggered down to the ground for my legs were bound at the ankles.

"The creature awakes!" Kal cried.

"Kill it!" Za replied, producing a crude knife chiseled from a sharp rock from the folds of his furs and lunging towards me. I held my bound arms in front of my face like a shield, and Za sliced clean through the ropes at my wrists with his knife.  
The pieces rippled out around me as I pivoted my body and jammed my elbow into Za's chest. He gasped in a mixture of shock and pain, staggering back. I dropped back to my knees and fumbled helplessly with the ropes that still bound my feet. But I didn't have enough time; Za rushed forward and knocked me back into the wall. Explosions of bright pain lit up in front of my eyes as I slumped against the cave wall.

"Stop it! Leave her alone." The Doctor had awoken and rushed up to Za, or hopped rather as he was still bound at the ankles. "Please you have no need to fear us. I am an old man," he insisted. "Let us go, and we will make all the fire you want," he added to the crowd.

"See, Kal's creatures can make fire!" Kal declared.

"The creatures will make fire for me. I am Fire Maker," Za asserted, neatly slicing the Doctor's binds from his wrists and ankles and then turning to cut the remainder of mine. I staggered to me feet; it took longer than I would have liked, but the room wouldn't stop spinning.

"Terna, are you-" the Doctor made a move towards me, but Za held him back. "Make fire," he ordered.

"Kal's creature: he makes fire only for Kal," Kal declared proudly.

"I am the Fire Maker; the creatures shall make fire for me," Za asserted.

I sighed, turning to the Doctor. "Well, you heard the man."

The Doctor nodded, fishing around in his pockets. His face fell. "Matches, I must have dropped them," he whispered.

I gritted my teeth. Not good. The Doctor spun around to meet the crowd. "Take me to my ship, and I will make all the fire you want!" he cried.

"This is one of your lies," Za said to Kal. "These creatures cannot make fire!"

"No, I saw it," Kal cried. "There was a strange tree and the creatures came out of it. Then fire came out of the woman's fingers." He whirled around to face me. "Come, make fire," he exclaimed, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me roughly. "Make fire come out of your fingers."

"I can't. It's not fire, you imbecile." I tried to explain, struggling in his grasp, but Kal would not listen. He didn't understand.

"Make fire!" Kal screamed at me.

"No!" I yelled back, wrenching myself from his grasp.

"You are trapped in your own lies, Kal," a woman with tangled, red-brown hair called from the front of the crowd.

Kal rushed to the Doctor and grabbed his hands. "Make fire. Make fire come from your fingers as I saw you do before."

"I have no matches," the Doctor asserted. "I cannot make fire."

"Let the old man die," Za declared. "Let them both die."

"Leave the old man alone; he cannot make fire," I ordered.

"Then you make fire instead," Kal was desperate now. "You make fire or I kill this man," he pulled a knife from his belt and pressed it to the startled Doctor's throat.

"I cannot make fire for you," I insisted.

"I saw it. It came from your hands in many colors," Kal replied.

"That's not fire; I have told you that before, you simple fool!" I cried. "What I have will not warm you; it will not give you food. It is a poison fire. I have nothing but a poison fire."

"Make fire, or the old man dies," Kal repeated. The Doctor stiffened in his grasp as Kal's knife grazed against his neck.

I froze as I felt my stomach tighten at the sight of the trickle of blood trailing from the thin wound in the Doctor's throat.  
Fighting to remain calm, I took a deep breath. "No. Do not harm him. It will serve you no good," I whispered.

"I will kill him," Kal cried, and, from the look in his dark eyes, I knew he was serious. But I couldn't do it. I couldn't give them my Psychic Anima. If I did, they would see it wouldn't help them, and they would kill us both. However, if I didn't then the Doctor would die. I couldn't let that happen. He was my only way out of here. My mind raced, but at that moment:

"Grandfather!" Susan screeched as she launched herself on top of Kal and started riding him like very violent piggy-back, beating him furiously in the head as he staggered about, clumsily trying to pull her off. The Doctor gasped as Kal released him.

Barbara rushed to help him while Ian went to assist Susan. Kal managed to pull the young girl off him. Another caveman grabbed me from behind and in my weakened state, I could do nothing. I screamed in frustration as Za shoved Ian to the ground and raised his tomahawk threateningly over the young man's head.

"Stop!" I commanded. "If he dies, there shall be no fire."

Za hesitated before slowly lowering his club and releasing Ian over to another man.

Kal, meanwhile, slowly walked over to Barbara. She shrunk back, repulsed, as he tried to touch her face.

"Kill her!" an old woman called from the back of the crowd.

Kal made a move to redraw his knife, but Za rushed to him and held him back. "No!"

"We will not kill our enemies?" Kal demanded in a mixture of surprise and disgust.

"We shall wait until Orb reappears in the sky, then they shall die," Za replied.

With a grunt, he released Kal. Kal's grip tightened on his knife, looking as though he wanted to stab Za with it. Za remained firm, however, and Kal backed down.

Za turned to the other men holding me and the others. "Take them to the Cave of Skulls."

Susan and Barbara both shrieked as they were hoisted over the men's shoulders and hauled down towards the back of the cave. The Doctor and I were dragged after them. I could see the blood from the knife wound staining the collar of his shirt.

"Grandfather! Grandfather!" Susan wailed helplessly as the men carrying us came to a stone the size of a sofa embedded loosely in the side of the cave.  
It took all five of them to move it aside and reveal a circular hole in the ground. A foul smell wafted out of the hole and spread throughout the air in a furious frenzy as though wishing to escape confinement and further spread its influence.

My stomach turned; the smell was the horrible odor of decay and rot; the scent of death capped neatly inside the cave as though it were a bottle.  
I squirmed helplessly in the grasp of the man holding me, but he was too strong, and he tossed me into the cave along with the others.

I hit the sandy ground and almost had the wind knocked from my lungs. The Cave of Skulls was aptly named; it was a crowded space covered from floor to ceiling in hundreds of decorated human skulls. Crooked candles cast uneven shadows across the sharp, jagged walls; the ceiling was low and oppressive above my head, the ground rough like sandpaper under my fingers.

"Grandfather!" Susan sat up and rushed over to the Doctor. He was lying on his back where the caveman had thrown him, and there was still a lot of blood from the knife wound. "Grandfather, wake up! Oh my God." Susan clapped a hand to her mouth and choked back a sob. Ian and Barbara gathered around her.

"What are we going to do, Ian?" Barbara whispered.

"I don't know," Ian replied, his voice small.

The Doctor made a strangled choking sound. "Grandfather," Susan leaned in closer as the Doctor's eyelids fluttered. "Oh, Grandfather, don't die. Please don't die."

"He's not going to die," I reassured her, getting to my feet. "The wound's not deep."

"He's losing a lot of blood though," Ian observed.

The human was right. I pursed my lips as I looked down at the Doctor lying helpless and bloody on the ground.

_What are we going to do? If the Time Lord dies, we may escape the cave, but we'll be forever trapped in this time_. The heat of panic rushed through me.

I gasped quietly, my heart suddenly hammering behind my ribs. I glanced down in surprise to see what looked like a strange golden light slowly feathering up from the backs of my hands.

"Stand back, everyone. I'm going to try something," I declared, flexing my fingers and allowing this strange light to thread between them.

"What is that? What are you doing?" Susan demanded.

"Hopefully, something that will help your grandfather," I replied simply.

"You mean you can heal him?" Barbara cried.

"Possibly."

"Go on then, do it," Susan exclaimed. Her eyes widened as she saw the golden light flickering along my fingertips.

"Right," I gritted my teeth. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, or where this strange energy had come from. But it felt like Anima between my fingers, like some kind of life giving power that could restore life in a single burst of power.

Slowly, I placed my finger across the Doctor's bloody throat. I allowed the strange golden energy to flow through the wound and was instantly bombarded with thousands upon thousands of tiny increments, little threads that all wove together to create the Doctor's life force, the energy that powered him on a molecular level.  
It didn't take me long to hone in on the damaged bits. It was a delicate procedure, and I nearly bit my tongue in half with concentration.  
It felt like an eternity was spent sewing him back together, but I eventually managed to stitch him up again. With a gasp of exhaustion, I fell back from the Doctor as he opened his eyes and sat up, feeling his now clean and uninjured neck in astonishment.

"Grandfather!" Susan cried, throwing her arms around the Doctor's shoulders. "You did it," she added to me.

"It worked," I whispered, not really listening. "It actually worked."

"This is unbelievable," Ian whispered to Barbara. "She healed the man with the touch of her finger."

I stared down at my hands in astonishment; the golden light had vanished.

What was that? If not Anima, than what?

"Terna," I glanced towards the Doctor, surprised. "You saved me. Thank you."

"Well, I couldn't just go and let you die, now could I?" I shot back. "You're my only ticket out of here after all."

"Perhaps out of this time, but not out of this place," Ian asserted. "We need to find a way out of this cave if we ever want to reach the TARDIS."

"Right, well stand back and allow me to amaze you once again," I announced, getting to my feet. I turned towards the back wall of the Cave of Skulls and placed my hand upon it. I closed my eyes and allowed the Amina to flow from my hand and consume the rock before me. Instantly, I was bombarded with a tightly woven net in which no space bled through, so dense was the stone that there was no way to undo it and pull the threads apart. I broke from the wall with a gasp of frustration.

"It's not working, is it?" the Doctor asked.

"Manipulating a solid on a molecular level is extremely difficult," I explained through gritted teeth. "To unravel the ore of a planet requires exceptional skill which I do not possess in this form." I smashed my fist against the stone with a cry of frustration. "And I thought I'd have us out of here! Stutlus stupri petram!*" I cursed in my native tongue.

"Terna, language, please," the Doctor called to me. "We must keep our wits about us," he added to the others. "It's our advantage against these humans of earlier times."

"But what are we to do?" Ian demanded. "How are we going to get out of here?"

"Frankly, I don't know, Chesterfield," the Doctor replied, shaking his head in dismay. "But we must think of something and fast."

()()()

Hours passed, in the dark surrounded by skulls and stone walls.  
While the others whispered amongst themselves in the center of the cave clothed in a thin layer of waning candlelight, I sat by the far wall, staring at the entrance that was corked shut by the immense boulder. My back was pressed against the wall, and I leaned my head against the sliver of fresh air that was not tainted with the scent of death and confinement.  
The fraction of coolness against my check told me that night had fallen long ago. I strained for further air, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.  
_Out. I need to get out of here before I go mad!_

"Terna, calm down," the Doctor called over to me.

"Calm? I am perfectly calm, Time Lord," I asserted, although my breaths came in short gasps as I spoke.

"No, you're not; you're hyperventilating," the Doctor asserted, getting to his feet and moving towards me.

"Out," I hissed, shaking my head vigorously as I staggered to my feet. "I need to get out of here right now."

"Terna, look at me," the Doctor placed his hand on my shoulder. "We're going to get out of here, I promise."

I shook him off. "Do not make promises you can't keep. We've been in here for hours, and you lot haven't come up with even an inkling of a plan."

"Well, what do you suggest?" The Doctor inquired.

"What I suggest? What_ I_ suggest?!" I cried. "What I suggested was that we never leave the TARDIS in the first place. But did anybody listen to me? No! They just trooped along with you, Time Lord, on one of your air-headed escapades."

"So, this is all _my _fault?!" the Doctor cried, "Or need I remind you that if you hadn't crashed into the TARDIS and made the system faulty, we wouldn't have left 1963 in the first place?"

"And this all just goes back to the fact that you can't drive a Time Machine to save your life. Just like a Time Lord, always going 'round in circles."

"At least we don't just sit like old fossils at the beginning of time like you Lyall," the Doctor shot back. "There isn't enough dust in the entire universe to cover those withered bones of yours."

"Both of you stop!" Ian cried as I opened my mouth to respond. "This bickering will get us nowhere." The Doctor and I both looked slightly sheepish. "By the way, Terna, why are you hanging about by the wall?" Ian asked me.

"Because there's a draft over here, and I need a spot of fresh air," I replied.

"So, you can feel a draft?" Ian reaffirmed. "And I can feel one too, over here."

"I can feel it too," Barbara added.

"Which means there's a back door!" Ian exclaimed, glancing around. "Perhaps, hidden somewhere. The question is: where?" He got to his feet and began moving about the cave.

"Don't count on it," the Doctor called to him. "It might just be a crack in the wall."

"Any hope is better than none!" Ian cried, whirling to face him. "Why don't you try and help us find it instead of standing there bickering with your girlfriend and criticizing us?"

"Oh you're hilarious, human," I exclaimed, far too worked up over our imprisonment to get properly angry about the 'girlfriend' remark. "However, you might be on to something, and I want out of this cave as soon as possible." I walked up to the nearest wall and observed it intently. "This is a prison after all, and most prisons have a back door."

"That may be, but why would they put it in our reach?" the Doctor demanded.

"Do you want out of here or don't you, Time Lord?" I shot back.

At that moment, the rocks broke away behind me and a waterfall of dirt spilled down into the cave. I felt a blast of night air and a face, haggard and aged with messy air and a mouth swollen with rotten teeth, leered out at us through the gap in the prison wall. I shrieked in spite of myself and staggered back into the Doctor, nearly knocking him to the ground.

"You will not make fire," the face declared. I recognized her to be the old woman that had advised Kal to kill us back in the main cave.

"You. What do you want with us?" the Doctor demanded.

"Wants us dead is what she wants," I replied. "I heard her order Kal to kill us."

"There was a leader before fire and there shall be a leader after fire," the old woman continued. "I will let you go if you promise to leave this place and not make fire."

We all exchanged a glance. "It's a deal," Ian declared.

"Just free us from this place," Barbara added.

"Very well," the woman moved aside to show an opening that lead out to the back end of the Fire People's cave. Beyond us was a dense wall of thick woods; the trees stood like opposing soldiers on all sides of us with no freezing desert or lonely time machine in sight.

But what choice did we have?  
Quickly, we all climbed out of the hole: I went first, then Susan and Barbara, then Ian, and finally the Doctor bringing up the rear.  
The old woman watched us go as we dropped to the ground and then took off running into the woods, no destination in particular in mind save getting out of sight. The trees provided good cover; although the paling sky showed an imminent dawn, the shadow of the trees still provided concealment.  
At the bottom of the slope that the cave rested on, there was a thin, man-made path cutting a rivet through the woods that unfolded out around us like a dark curtain. We clung to the path as though our lives depended on it and took off running.

The forest was thick and untamed. The branches and brambles jumped out of the darkness to pull at our hair and tug at our clothes as though attempting to grab us and pull us back into the shadows of the night.  
We were forced to frantically slash and tear the foliage aside. The path we were on was thin and fading in and out, so there were terrifying moments when we lost it entirely in the middle of a crowded patch and had to search frantically until we found it again.  
There were other times when something would impede one of us from moving forward, and they would be lost from the group until their cries lured us back to them. The Doctor lagged behind a few times as we ran, constantly stumbling around in the rear as though half blind.

"Stop!" he cried after what felt like hours of senseless running. "Please, just let me catch my breath." He leaned against a tree, gasping heavily.

"We can't stop now," Ian insisted.

"He just had his throat slit, human," I reminded him. "He is most likely weary. However, you are correct in saying we cannot remain here long. We are completely exposed."

"The Fire People didn't see us escape," Barbara asserted, "And they won't see us in this dense wood."

"It's not the Fire People I'm worried about," I replied.  
As though on cue, an ear-piercing shriek suddenly ripped through the cover of night and exposed a flash of some terrifying creature to us all before the darkness swallowed it up again, leaving only eerie silence in its wake.  
Susan gasped and clung to my arm. "That's what we should be worried about," I confirmed.

"We must keep moving," Ian insisted to the Doctor.

"Yes, I know, I know," the Doctor replied, his voice thick. "Just let me breath."

"I could carry you," Ian offered.

"I'm not senile!" the Doctor cried.

"Here, Grandfather," Susan went over to him and helped him off the tree he was leaning against. She let him lean against her, and we took off running again.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Barbara called to Ian, who led the procession.

"Yes, I think so," Ian called back.

"I-I can't remember," Barbara sounded weak. "I just can't remember." She stopped her running short, and I almost smashed into her as she buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

"We're free, Barbara; we're free," Ian tried to console her, putting his arm around her and leading her along.

"Yes, yes," Barbara whispered. There was another howl, and we all tensed up, frozen with fear.

The moment passed like the flicker of a candle in the wind. Susan rushed forward suddenly. "I remember this place," she cried breathlessly. "But we didn't go through it, we went across it."

"Yes, there was a sort of trail going that way," Barbara added.

"Are you okay?" Ian asked the Doctor.

"I'm fine," the Doctor snapped back. "Don't keep looking on me as the weakest link in the party."

Barbara suddenly screamed and clutched at Ian.

"What?" I demanded.

"I saw something move, over there in the bushes," Barbara cried, pointing towards a dark patch of brambles.

"It was your imagination," the Doctor insisted.

"No, I'm certain it was there,"

"Then let's not wait around for it to get us," I declared.

"Oh Ian, we're never going to get out of this awful place. Never, never!" Barbara continued to cry, burying her face in Ian's chest.

"Don't cry, Barbara, please," Ian almost begged. "We escaped the Cave of Skulls. We'll get back to the ship and then we'll be safe."

As Ian continued to try and comfort Barbara, I gripped the folds of my white fur coat and wrapped them tighter around myself, feeling the sting of the icy wind as though it was cutting right through me.

"It's so cold," I whispered.

"I'm hot from all this exertion," the Doctor replied, dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief.

"We can't stay here too long," Ian said to us.

"Do you think I want to?" the Doctor called back.

"We must move on. We'll change the order," Ian declared. "You, Terna, and Susan will go in front. Barbara and I will bring up the rear. Susan seems to remember the way better than us anyways."

"And who elected you the leader of this group?" the Doctor demanded.

"Oh for the God's sake," I exclaimed in dismay.

"I will not follow orders blindly," the Doctor asserted.

"There's no time to vote on it," Ian insisted.

"You're a tiresome young man," the Doctor grumbled.

"And you're a stubborn old one," Ian shot back.

"I'm not old! I'm only four hundred and six," the Doctor insisted.

"You're both morons," I cut in. There was another howl from the forest. All five of us turned its way. It sounded closer this time. "And we're all going to get eaten if we just stand about arguing," I added.

"You're one to talk," the Doctor grumbled.

"Claude os tuum et senis,**" I replied to him firmly, before turning to Ian. "Susan and I will go first; you hang back and keep an eye on the Doctor."

Ian nodded as the group broke into their designated spots, and we kept moving.  
We'd only gone a few paces before Barbara tripped on a root and fell down on her face.  
She collapsed with a cry that mounted to a scream when she saw what lay in front of her.

I whipped around and felt a lump of nausea build up in my throat.  
Nestled in the grass before Barbara was the disembodied head of a boar. Its eyes bloated and lifeless with its tongue bulging from gaping jaws, hung open in a permanent scream. The head had been ripped from its neck, below the jaw was a flood of blood.

"What did that?" Susan whimpered.

"I don't want to hang around and find out," Ian replied, helping a trembling Barbara to her feet.

"What was that?" I suddenly cried, whirling around.

"Oh, not you too, Terna," the Doctor exclaimed.

"Shut up, I definitely heard something, and I have the ears of a wolf," I shot back. There was a snap of a twig and the steady murmur of hushed voices.

"We're being followed," Barbara whispered.

"Hurry, everyone, hide," Ian cried, and we all scrambled towards a divot behind a fallen log a short ways from the path.  
Crouched close together in the tight space, we dared not breath as we heard the sounds of our pursuers at our backs draw steadily closer while the howl of the boar-slaughtering beast raged on further ahead of us.

"Great trapped between psycho cave-people and a slaughtering predator," I grumbled. "Hardly an appetizing sandwich."

* * *

Translation:  
*Stupid fucking wall  
**Shut your mouth, old man

* * *

A/N: Terna's language is a *butchered* form of Latin by the way. And that's Chapter five left on a perilous cliffhanger. Hope you enjoyed and I shall return next week. :)


	6. 100,000 BC- The Firemaker

A/N: Another late chapter. Thank God for the day off *nervous laugh

* * *

Chapter 6: 100,000 B.C.- The Firemaker

* * *

We huddled close together, burying our forms in the darkness the shadows of the forest created. We could hear the relentless wailing of the ferocious creature not far ahead of us while the subtle murmurs and practiced footsteps of our human pursuers drew steadily closer behind us. My mind raced as I fought to keep my breathing even.  
Terna was right about one thing: we were cut off from both sides with two separate enemies at our fronts and backs. Trapped in the middle, in the darkness of an alien time; things were not looking good for us.

At that moment, the bushes on the other side of the clearing broke away, and two figures stepped into view. One was Za, the supposed leader of the Fire People; he slipped along through the dense foliage at a hunter's careful pace with a wooden club half-raised in anticipation. The second figure was the woman with the reddish-brown hair that had defended Za when his rival Kal had accused him of cowardice.

"Keep down and not a sound," Ian hissed from beside me, still clutching a trembling Barbara close to him. Then why are _you_ talking?

"I heard one of the woman scream not far from this spot," Za said to the woman.  
Great, both of the humans are going to give us away.

"Za, look!" the woman cried, pointing to the lump of blackened flesh that was the boar's head still lying in a bloody heap on the path.

"The beast of the forest is among us!" Za's grip tightened on his club as though he expected said creature to leap out of the bushes at any moment.  
Good, now be a smart caveman and get out of here before the thing eats you. Not that it matters, either way it works to our advantage.

Suddenly, there was another howl that then died down into a grumbling snort as the creature lumbered closer, twigs and leaves snapping and parting as it scuffled about in the shadows.

The beast was but a few yards from us; I could hear its snorting and slurping; it was probably devouring the rest of the boar it had slaughtered. The cave-woman started forward, seemingly eager to get away from the clearing and out of the open; I didn't blame her.

"Wait, Hur," Za held her back. "There is danger. I will go first."  
The woman called Hur nodded minutely as Za moved swiftly towards the other side of the clearing. He was nearing the ferns we were hiding behind.

Moving as one, we all shrank down together, attempting to make our bodies as small and insignificant as possible.  
I could feel Terna crouched on the other side of me; her cold breath against my neck. With only her Force Anima keeping her body warm; her breaths came out in frigid wisps like ice vapor.

We watched, unblinking, as Za slipped by us on slight, silent feet. He neared the bushes where the beast was crouched; they whipped frantically about, flashes of some huge, hairy creature could be seen between the branches. Za raised his club.

The slurping fell silent in the space of a heartbeat, and then the beast lunged.  
Za let out a scream almost as inhuman as the beast's howl as it came down upon him.  
Hur shrieked. Her cries were soon mixed with the frantic screams of Za as the beast tackled him to the ground.  
He rolled desperately under it and tumbled out of sight as the beast slashed and bit and tore at his body. Blood was seen and the sounds of gore could be heard echoing throughout the forest.

Barbara's grip on Ian tightened; her face chalk-white in the early morning dawn.  
Susan grabbed my hand and averted her eyes. But there was nothing we could do to hide the sounds: Hur's sobs as Za was brutally assaulted and the screams of the man as he was ripped apart.  
I jumped slightly when I felt pressure on my other arm; I turned to see Terna had her fingers closed tightly around my sleeve in a vice-like grip.  
However, unlike Susan, her eyes were wide and unwavering; they watched the spectacle with a million different emotions swirling through them. I stared at Terna, shocked at what I was seeing. Her face was pale; her eyes were filled with a frantic fear.

"Quick! Now's our chance," Ian exclaimed.

"N-No, we can't!" Barbara cried, gripping his arm to hold him back. "We can't just leave them. I don't care what they've done!"

"Barbara, please, we have to go," Ian pleaded.

At that moment, I felt the grip on my arm loosen. "Terna!" I cried as the Lyall started forward. I grabbed her wrist. "Terna what are you doing? You'll give us all away."

"There's a man dying out there. I can help him," the Lyall replied fiercely.

"He was our enemy a few moments ago," I exclaimed, fighting through gritted teeth as Terna strained against me. "If our situations were reversed, do you think he would do the same?"

"I don't care about that. I can't just sit by and let him by ripped apart!" Terna cried, whirling to face me. As she did so, I caught a flash of something in her blue eyes. Some kind of burning intensity, an expression I'd never seen on her face before.  
She didn't want to help Za; she _needed_ to help him. Aghast, my grip slackened, and Terna broke through the brush and sprinted towered the spot where Za had fallen.

"Here. Let me help," Barbara called after her, racing to catch up.

"Barbara!" Ian cried uselessly as he took off after her.

What utter fools. They were going to get themselves killed. There was no way Za and Hur came alone. As soon as they brought themselves into the open, they were most likely going to get ambushed by dozens of other cave people.

Susan started forward too, but I snatched her shoulders and held her back.

"No, Susan! You're staying here with me," I declared.

"No, Grandfather," Susan protested.

"Silence. We're going back to the ship," I snapped.

"No, we can't leave them behind!" Susan cried, wriggling from my grasp and breaking from our hiding places towards the others.

I stood there in the empty dell, arms open in shock. "What are they doing?" I whispered. "Have they all lost their minds?"

Something other than my mind started my legs forward. I knew there was a good chance I was going to get myself killed if I went after Susan and the others, but I couldn't' just stand there while my granddaughter threw herself into danger.  
Sighing between clenched teeth, I stalked off after the others.

I heard of the Fire People before I saw them: Za's cries of agony as he lay on the ground in a tattered, bloody heap, and Hur's sobs as she crouched over him, running her hands across his wounds in helpless desperation.  
The front of Za's tunic had been torn open and deep slashes crisscrossed across his chest; sticky, crimson blood was splattered across his ravaged flesh. The wounded man choked and gasped as more blood gurgled up in his throat and dribbled down his chin as he moaned in pain.

"No, no, no," Hur cried, grasping at the folds of his tattered clothes and sobbing bitterly.

As I approached, Terna knelt down beside the distraught woman.

"No! Keep away!" the woman cried, lunging for Terna.

Ian made a move to come between them, but Terna calmly held him back.

"Let me look at him," she said to Hur. Her voice was low and serious; a level I'd never heard her speak before.

"No!" Hur cried.

"Please, she can help," Ian explained. Hur looked at him; her vague eyes wide.

"We are your…friends," Ian continued. Hur cocked her head to the side like a confused dog.

"Friend?" she whispered.

"Yes, he's your friend," Terna redirected Hur's attention. "I want to help him. Do you understand?"

Hur seemed to be pondering this for a moment, but finally she relented.

Slowly, Terna bent over the wounded Za. "Do you think you'll be able to do it again, Terna?" Susan asked.

"It will prove to more difficult," I declared. "These wounds are deep. It will be a far more complicated a process than mending a simple cut."

Terna ignored my comment. "I need you to go and get him some water," she instructed Hur.

"No! I will not leave him!" the woman cried, her hands hovering over Za in a protective manner.

"He will be fine. I will take care of him while you're gone," Terna spoke with a certain kind of tenderness that I didn't think her voice would be able to emanate.  
When she talked to me, Susan, or the humans, her voice was like steel: cold and sharp. But here, she spoke with a softness that made her appear stronger, but also more vulnerable at the same time.  
Perplexed, I watched Terna with a silent fascination as Hur finally rushed off to a nearby brook that cut through the bottom of a steep ravine on the other side of the path.

"Watch her, human," Terna instructed Ian. "I'm not a hundred percent sure she won't run back to the caves for reinforcements."

"You don't trust her fully?" Ian asked; his eyes now fixed solely on the young cave woman.

"How can I?" Terna replied as she began vigorously rubbing her fingers together as though trying to warm them; the friction caused the blue, fire-like Anima to bloom in her palms. "And I don't think she trusts us fully either," she added.

"How can she?" Barbara mused.

"True," Terna agreed as she once again bent over Za. His eyes fluttered open, dazed and confused.

"H-Hur..." he croaked.

"Shhh," Terna soothed him, gently rubbing her fingers across his sweaty face. "It's going to be alright. I promise." She then fell silent as she looked down at her hands to see the brilliant blue light fluttering around them.

"Damn, it's not the same energy," she whispered.

"But it could still work," Susan offered.

"I just wish I knew what that other stuff was," Terna whispered through gritted teeth.

What was she talking about? Had she not healed me with my Anima?

Terna's Psychic Amina unfurled across Za's ravaged body, covering it in a cool, pleasant light. But, nothing seemed to happening: the fire of the wounds would not be quelled.  
Finally, Terna broke away from him with a gasp. In the half light of early dawn, I could see a sheen of sweat across her forehead.

"It's not working," she breathed, slowly getting to her feet.

"Why not?" Barbara added. "It did before.

Terna simply shook her head in bewilderment

I looked down at Za, still gaunt and flushed; his skin red with ripples of pain and exhaustion still coursing through his body.

"I can't do anything for the pain and exhaustion." Terna verbally reaffirmed my observation. "My Anima doesn't work like that."

"Don't worry, Terna; we'll take him back to the TARDIS and give him some medicine."

We will most certainly not!

"You made fire!" Hur's shriek alarmed us all, and we whirled around to face her. She was standing at the edge of the path; a leaf filled with water from the stream clasped in her trembling hand.

"Oh no. I knew something like this would happen," I hissed through gritted teeth.

"No, it's not fire," Terna tried to explain even though I knew it was fruitless. How could she possibly expect this simple human to comprehend her Anima when Ian and Barbara couldn't wrap their brains around my TARDIS? And they had millennia worth of evolution to back them. Terna slowly approached Hur as if to console her. Understandably, the woman took a frantic step back.

"I'm not going to hurt you!" Terna insisted, holding her arms aloft as though in surrender. "It's not fire. It's a special light that brings good things." Her simplified explanation was almost laughable.

"You healed him with special fire?" Hur whispered.

"Sure. I mean, yeah, I did." Terna smiled wryly.

"Hur!" Za's gurgled cry redirected the woman's attention, and she rushed to his side. Barbara knelt down to help, taking a handkerchief from her pocket and using it to dab the remainder of blood from Za's wounds. "It looks like most of this is the animal's blood," she announced.

"Where is the beast now?" Susan cried.

"Ran off, into the woods. Za injured it," Hur declared proudly.

"It'll have bled out before it can make it back her to make a snack of us," Ian predicted, stooping so as to help Barbara clean off Za. "So much for us getting away."

I hung back, keenly observing the others fuss over the gasping and still heavily pained savage.

Terna turned to face me. In a flash, her expression hardened over and that open side of her was quickly swallowed up by a familiar, and admittedly welcome, scowl. "Where are you getting the nerve to glare at me like that, Time Lord?" she snapped.

"I don't understand you, Terna," I shot back. "One minute we were doing everything in our power to get away from this people, and now we're trying to_ help_ them?"

"Yes, we are," Ian announced. "And why don't you help? You're a doctor, after all."

"I'm not a doctor of medicine," I exclaimed in exasperation.

"Oh, of course you're not," Terna cried, rolling her eyes.

"Maybe we can make friends with them?" Susan offered.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, child," I cried in exasperation.

"Why?" Barbara abruptly demanded of me. "You treat everyone and everything as less important than yourself."

"You're trying to say that everything you do is reasonable, and everything I do is inhuman," I observed, "but you're judgments are at fault in this right, not mine. You do realize that if these two people can follow us than more can as well. We could have the whole tribe descending on us at any moment!"  
I was getting flustered at this point. I had no interest in sticking out my neck for a heathen that had locked us in a cell to rot until he saw fit to slaughter us.

"The tribe is asleep," Hur insisted.

"Not all of them," I asserted. "What of the old woman who set us free?"

Hur stared at him blankly.

"He is right. We're too exposed here," Ian admitted. "We need to get a move on."

"We can't just leave them here," Terna insisted.

"We'll make a stretcher," Ian announced, shrugging off his jacket and instructing the two women to do the same.

We're not taking him back to the ship, if that's the young man's idea.  
"Susan, I need you to go find two long branches," Ian added to the girl. Susan nodded and hurried off into the brush; my face lined with worry.

Terna seemed to notice it. "The old woman won't give us away," she reassured me. "Why would she? She set us free. She wants us to get away."

"You think so?" I smiled dryly. "These people have logic and reason, do they?"

"Do not patronize me, Time Lord." Terna fumed.

"Oh come of it, Terna. You're smarter than to believe that these people won't go back on their word. They're no better than animals, surviving purely on instinct. They'll change on a whim."

Terna regarded me darkly. "I thought a Time Lord's job was to care for everyone and everything all throughout time, or are you an exception? I had known you were unorthodox, but I never thought _this _much."

"Then why do you care so much for these insipid savages?" I shot back. "I thought a Lyall considered all beings in the universe to be beneath them."

"Well, maybe I'm unorthodox too," Terna shot back. "And besides, all life is part of a grand design that must be cared for and regulated by those who stand apart from time and therefore can see and understand the system of the universe in its entirety."  
I stared at her, surprised at her outburst. Meanwhile, the others fumbled about with their coats, and Susan returned with two long sticks to hold them together. They arranged the coats in various ways across the sticks, but couldn't find a way to hold them together.

"It's not going to work like this," Ian exclaimed in frustration.

Susan moved over to Za's head in an attempt to prop it up. Hur screeched suddenly and lunged for Susan, who cried out in shock.

"No! He's mine," the cavewoman cried.

"I was only trying to help," Susan wailed.

"She doesn't understand. She's jealous of you," Terna explained, moving over to help, sliding her own coat off her shoulders. As she did so, I couldn't conceal my alarm when I saw that Terna's bare arms were covered in faint bluish bruises and gaping sores.

"Terna…" I started, but she silenced me with a pointed look.

"I pushed myself a little farther than this body can take, that's all," she stated simply before turning back to the others and handing Ian her coat.

"Why do you do this?" Hur demanded of her. "You are like a mother with a child. Why do you not kill?"

Was it a trick of the light or did I catch something flash across Terna's face; the faintest increment of some expression that was too brief to make out fully.

"How can we explain this to her?" Ian whispered to Barbara. "She doesn't understand kindness or friendship."

I watched as Terna knelt in front of Hur again. "We will make him well again, and we will show you how to make fire," she said to her. "In return, you will show us the way back to our…cave." I assumed she meant the TARDIS.

Hur studied Terna; I could see the hesitation in her eyes.

"Listen to them," Za croaked. Hur rushed to his side and bent over him. "They do not kill," Za continued. Hur nodded before Za began to cry for water, and Hur jumped to her feet, rushing back to the stream in the ravine at the edge of the path.

I watched her go, and our eyes met for but a moment.

"Here, let's try the sleeves inside now," Ian recommended before turning towards me. "How about giving us a hand, Doctor?"

I didn't respond; I was staring after Hur. Were her primitive eyes reflecting some kind of resentment towards me? Did she understand that I was refraining myself from helping her?

Vaguely, I heard Susan murmur to the others: "He's always like this when he doesn't get his way."  
Oh, so she thinks I'm being stubborn. Terna seemed to think the same for she came up to me again.

"I may have my pride, Time Lord, but that does not mean I am without compassion. I am Lucent, after all, and I hold myself to that honorably. You Time Lords are not so divided, but that does not mean you cannot still be good."

I regarded her thoughtfully, once again alarmed by the earnest in her eyes. This was a side of Terna I had not yet seen, and it fascinated me considerably. But, for the moment…

At that time, the stretcher seemed to be complete and everyone else had gathered around Za to hoist him onto the flimsy structure.

"Won't you give us a hand, Doctor?" Ian demanded. "Or do you expect the women to do the job for you?"

"Oh, very well." Fine job at guilt-tripping me into helping you, human; I'll give you that much.

Terna grasped one corner of the stretcher near Za's head. I came up behind her and pointedly clasped her shoulder.

"You've exerted yourself enough," I declared, motioning for her to hand her share of the load to me.

I expected her to protest, but she relented rather quickly and stepped back, so I could help Ian, Barbara, and Hur heave Za off the ground. He moaned quietly but otherwise remained still.

"Where to?" I demanded breathlessly.

"Back to the TARDIS where we can get him proper medication for his pain," Ian declared. "Unless you object to that, Doctor?"

I clenched my teeth. "Whatever." I didn't have the energy to argue, and this man was heavier than he looked.  
So, we moved on, continuing to troop along the forest path in relative silence. Ian, Barbara, Hur, and me carrying Za on the makeshift stretcher while Susan and Terna walked alongside us, attempting to help at any point.

"Want me to take it for a while?" Terna offered at one point when I stumbled slightly.

"No." I quickly declined. I would not have her usurping me in such a manner. "You've done enough as it is. Your body needs rest."

"Indeed," Terna smiled grimly. "I'm not used to this. It seems that energy really knocked me for a loop."

Wait a minute…"You knew this would happen," I mused.

Terna's smile broadened. "I figured it. I haven't had to worry about such things as skin and a physical body. I didn't really have them before. I'd quite forgotten about them, and I used enough. If I'm not careful, and I use my Psychic Anima too much and too often; I might tear this body to shreds. I guess in the heat of the moment, I wasn't thinking."

I regarded Terna thoughtfully. "I hadn't ever thought you to be this soft-hearted, Lyall."

"Well, there are many things you don't know about me, Time Lord. Many things…"  
Terna's voice trailed off, and she turned her head from me. I still, however, caught a glimpse of her eyes: vibrant blue shining out from her lined face, and I saw the youth in them.

For the first time, I realized how young Terna truly was. A young woman had she'd not been in the body the TARDIS gave her. In fact, had she been born a Time Lord, in our years she'd may have even been younger than me.

"There's the edge of the forest!" I was wrenched from my musings as Susan confirmed what we all soon saw to be true. We had reached the edge of the tree line and already mounds of the frozen sand from the desert beyond were spilling into the forest scape to collect in drifts around and under the trees like mounds of powdery snow. And, off in the distance, I could see it, and my heart leapt as I did so: the TARDIS, half sunken in the soft desert dunes, like a lighthouse beacon calling us to it.

"There's the TARDIS. We're almost there!" Susan continued. We all quickened our pace, energy renewed upon seeing the end of our perilous trek so close. But luck was not with us.

Out from the bushes, a shrill shriek ripped through the silence of the pale, winter dawn.  
We barely had time to react before the remainder of the Fire People tribe were upon us, springing from the bushes and leaping from the tree branches; they swarmed us like furry insects in numbers so overwhelming they seemed to drop from the very heavens.  
Susan and Barbara both screamed; Ian and I attempted to fight them off as two of the men forcefully pulled our arms behind our backs.  
Terna, meanwhile, dropped to the ground and tried to roll away but the leader of the assault, Kal, snatched her up and held her like a doll in his arms while she kicked and shrieked vile insults at him in her own tongue.

"Thought you could get away?" he sneered in her ear as he began applying pressure to her throat. "Thought wrong."  
Terna choked under the pressure; her face going pale. I twisted in my own captor's grasp, feeling the blood pounding in my ears from the adrenaline.

"Stop it!" Hur shrieked in the center of the chaos, standing over the still unconscious Za. "Leave them be!"

"Do you not see?" Kal cried to the crowd. "Hur and Za allowed the prisoners to escape and traveled with them."

"We did not free them," Hur asserted, getting up in Kal's face.

Kal laughed. "Za is so weak that he needs a woman to speak for him."

"We did not free the prisoners," Hur reaffirmed. "The old woman let them go."

"The old woman is dead," Kal asserted. "Za killed her with his knife."

"No!" Hur's eyes were wide upon this revelation.

"Here," Kal released Terna from his vice-like grasp; she fell to the ground, gasping and choking. He then bent down and pulled the knife from Za's belt. "Here is the knife he killed her with."

He held the sharpened stone aloft.  
I smiled.

"This knife has no blood on it," I declared.

Kal started. "What?"

"I said this knife has no blood on it," I reaffirmed.

Kal faltered ever so slightly. He let the knife fall from his hands. It hit the sand with a 'thud'. "It is a bad knife. It does not show the things it does."

"I say it is a good knife," I asserted. "I have never seen a better knife."

Beyond Kal's stupefied expression, I could see Terna slowly rising into a sitting position. For a moment, our eyes met, and I could see the knowing smile in her young eyes.

"I will show you a better knife than Za's!" Kal declared, fishing around in the belt of his tunic. Ah reverse psychology, works every time. "Here." He held the knife out to me.

My smile broadened as I stepped away from my stunned captor and took Kal's knife in my hands; it was soaked in fresh blood. "This knife shows what it does," I announced to the crowd. "This knife has blood on it."

A unified gasp rose up from the chorus. At that moment, Za opened his eyes and sat up, haggard and dazed.

"Who killed the old woman?" I asked, before holding the bloody knife under Za's nose. "Did you kill her?"

"No." Za shook his head. "I did not kill her."

I turned to Kal. "You killed the old woman."

Kal hesitated. "Yes!" he admitted, more shocked cries from the crowd. "I killed the old woman. She set them free. She set them free! I, Kal, killed her!"

More murmurs from the crowd.

"Is this a strong leader?" I poured gas on the growing fire. No pun intended. "The one who killed the old woman? He is a bad leader!"

The murmurs turned to cries of agreement; Kal squirmed where he stood.

"He is a bad leader," I repeated, stooping to help Terna to her feet. She shook my hand off, naturally, and stood on her own. "Follow my example," I whispered to her before turning to Susan, Ian, and Barbara, who were all watching me stunned. "Everyone, take a rock," I said to them. I picked up a stone and hurled it at Kal. "Drive him out. Drive him out!" I cried.

"Yes, drive him out." Ian caught on as he and the others grabbed fistfuls of the desert stones.

"Drive the bad leader out!" Terna hollered, chucking a rock and hitting Kal square in the shoulder. He hissed like a snake whose rattle had been stepped on.

"He killed the old woman!" Hur cried, grabbing a stone big enough for two hands and tossing it at Kal. Kal shrieked and grunted; his eyes wild as he spewed those primitive noses, showing plainly the animal truly he was.

"You will not drive out Kal!" he hollered to the crowd as they pressed forward, hurling stones. "I will not be driven out again! I will be leader!"  
In a flash, he snatched his knife up from the sand and whirled to face me. "You want bad knife, old man?" he hissed, raising it threateningly.

He lunged. "Grandfather!" Susan shrieked, rushing forward. Terna dove in front of me.

What happened next surprised us all. One minute Kal was like a raging bull stampeding towards me, the next he had staggered to a halt.  
His jaw went slack with shock and a trickle of blood dribbled down his chin. Za had sat up in the stretcher and was holding a spare knife between his hands; a knife he had plunged up to the crude hilt into Kal's abdomen.

"I am leader," Za whispered. "A leader does not allow bad for his people."

Kal's dark eyes turned towards Za and all the hatred for him poured out like the blood from his mouth and the wound in his side. Then he fell to the ground.

Za scrambled away and into Hur's anxious arms. The crowd, meanwhile, closed in on Kal like a pack of vultures. "Drive him out! Drive him out!" they chanted, pelting his dying body with stones. Susan rushed to me and buried her face in my chest; I averted my eyes as the stones collided with Kal's bloody and convulsing body until it finally stilled.

()()()

Kal's body was disposed in a ravine and left to the vultures. After which, I had a quick word with the elated Za, as he now had no opposition to his leadership, about allowing us to return freely to the TARDIS.  
Za said that he would but on one condition. Funny, I didn't think these people were advanced enough to make deals.

"What was that all about?" Terna asked once Za let me go, and I headed back to her and the others, who were gathered on edge of the desert.

"Za allowed us to go free as long as I showed him how to make fire with dry wood. You know, instead of matches," I explained simply.

"Don't you think that's a little risky just giving him the answer like that? Isn't it meddling with history if you don't let him figure it out for himself?"

"Terna, need I remind you that we have two humans from 1963 inside our TARDIS? This is the least of our worries."

Terna arched an eyebrow. "Our TARDIS?"

"_My_ TARDIS," I quickly corrected myself. "Now, come on. I think all the spiders have filtered out of the Console Room."

Terna bristled as I brushed past her. "Please don't joke about that."

She hung back as I headed towards the lone TARDIS half-buried in the white desert sands along with the others; I glanced over my shoulder with the intent of telling her to hurry up when I saw that Hur had grabbed Terna's wrist. Terna stared at her in surprise.

"Friend," Hur smiled, showing crooked yellow teeth. "Good."

A stunned expression crossed Terna's face.  
Tentatively, she patted Hur's shoulder before turning and hurrying up the hill. Her long silver hair had come loose of its braid during our trek through the forest, and it fanned out behind her in the early morning sunlight like gleaming steel. My eyes widened. Had it always looked like that?

"What are you staring that?" Terna's voice seemed to have snapped me out of some kind of stupor.

"Grandfather, come on!" Susan called from inside the TARDIS.

"Yes, let's get out of her before the tribe changes their mind," Ian added.

"Finally, something we can agree on." I grumbled, stepping over the TARDIS threshold, feeling the comforting metallic material under my worn feet replace the ancient sand.

Terna rolled her eyes, but it was with a smile. I watched with another look of surprise as she collapsed into the Egyptian throne beside Susan who had started up the TARDIS.

Her smile…

* * *

A/N: So, it seems the Doctor's opinion of Terna has changed. What about her opinion of him? Stay tuned and sorry once again this was late.


	7. The Mutants- The Dead Planet

Chapter 7: The Mutants- The Dead Planet

* * *

Terna sat slumped on the Egyptian throne as the TARDIS spun throughout time and space like a never-slowing top. Of course, she felt nothing of this sensation and neither did the ship's four other occupants.

"Where is this thing taking us now?" Ian demanded of the Doctor.

"Nowhere you should be concerning yourself with, Chesterfield," the Doctor replied, only half listening as he was too busy fiddling with the TARDIS controls.

"Chester_ton_," Ian corrected, sounding exasperated.

"Won't you take us home now?" Barbara asked tiredly.

"We can't do that, or have you forgotten?" the Doctor asserted.

"No, of course I haven't," Barbara replied. "But Ian, and I don't belong in this place. Please, take us back to our own time."

"I simply cannot do it," the Doctor replied definitively.

"Actually, you probably could," Terna piped up from her spot on the throne. "As long as I successfully wiped their memories, that is."

Everyone turned her way with looks of surprise. "Oh, I'd quite forgotten you were there, Terna. You're so uncharacteristically quiet," the Doctor exclaimed bitterly.

"Humor me, Time Lord," Terna pressed, getting to her feet and walking over to him. "If I erased all memory of this ordeal from the human's minds, they would remember nothing of the TARDIS and therefore no longer be a threat to you. The only reason why I was unable to do it initially was because that bumbling buffoon tripped into the console and messed everything up." She gestured to Ian, who looked understandably miffed.

"Why would we agree to have our minds tampered with by you?" Barbara demanded.

"Yeah, I'm not having any part of you in my head," Ian agreed.

"But would you not want to forget the events you just witnessed?" Terna inquired, turning to the two humans. "I'd imagine it must have been a very trying experience."

Barbara scowled. "Don't patronize us."

"You make it too easy," Terna replied with a smile.

"But that would work out alright. Wouldn't it, Grandfather?" Susan exclaimed. "Terna's got a good point."

The Doctor sighed, rubbing the space between his eyes. "I suppose."

"We didn't agree to this!" Ian continued.

"You're given little choice in the matter," Terna replied. "You humans think you're capable of such great feats when in actuality your minds are quite small…" BANG!

There was a thunderous crash as the TARDIS suddenly bucked and rolled in mid-flight, launching all of its passengers across the floor and sending them rolling down the deck on their hands and knees.

As quickly as it came, the movement stopped and there was a blunt 'thud' signifying the machine had landed.

Terna sat up to as thin film of steam accompanied by a pungent odor began to slowly filter out of the cracks and groves in the console. "Did I mention I hate this thing? Because I do," she grumbled, scrambling to her feet.

"What's happened now?" Ian demanded bitterly as he and Barbara got up rather gracelessly.

"Stupid piece of worthless…" the Doctor muttered to himself, fanning away the steam as he stumbled over to the console and adjusted a few of the knobs.

When the smoke finally cleared, everyone had managed to regain their bearings and had joined the Doctor at the center console.  
"Now, let's see where we are," the Doctor murmured, flicking a switch, and the view screen in the corner jumped to life.

A bizarre image slowly fizzled into clarity: a bleak and empty forest of still, bare trees that crawled up from the black dirt to reach like skeleton hands into the equally dark sky.  
"Where is that?" Susan whispered.

"I do not know," the Doctor replied. "I cannot tell height or hair of this place from just the view the screen is giving me."

He stopped when he saw Terna moving slowly closer to the view screen so as to get a better look.  
"I feel like I've seen this place before," she whispered, staring intently at the image before averting her gaze, her eyes losing themselves in thought. "But for the life of me, I can't remember where."

"Well, I don't suppose we should take a look around until after we've all cleaned ourselves up a bit," the Doctor observed, causing everyone to glance down at their torn, dirt-smeared clothes and faces and raggedy, windblown hair. They still hadn't fully recovered from their encounter with the Fire People.

Terna even noticed a large tear running up the left side of her blue dress so a mud-splattered silver sandal could be seen pocking out of the slit as well as some rather obscene toenails. Terna quickly buried her foot back into the remaining folds of her skirt.

"Probably a good idea," she mumbled.

"Come with me," the Doctor instructed her and the humans, leading them towards the door that lead out of the bridge and into the halls. "I doubt you know where the shower rooms are."

"I know where the swimming pool is," Terna murmured.

"Oh, and Susan, what is the radiation reading?" the Doctor inquired over his shoulder. Susan glanced briefly at the meter on the console.

"It's reading normally, Grandfather," she replied. The Doctor nodded.

"Good. Now, follow me." Terna glanced worriedly at the image of the empty wood still displayed on the view screen before following.

()()()

A short time later, Terna emerged from the shower room, wrapped in a fluffy white robe, her silvery hair falling around her shoulders in wet ringlets.

She felt cleansed and refreshed; especially since the warm shower water had healed the bruises and sores she'd gotten from overly exerting her powers earlier.

"Terna," the addressed glanced up from her observation of the tear in her dress hem to see Susan standing in the middle of the hall, also dressed in a robe. She seemed to have been waiting for her.

"Oh, your dress ripped," Susan exclaimed, taking the garment from the already bewildered Terna. "Here. I'll help you fix that."

Before Terna could protest, Susan had taken her hand and lead her down the hall, around the corner, and through a series of more doors until they reached a very familiar bee-hived shaped room.

The wardrobe was its same sweeping, overwhelming mass of clothing of all shapes and sizes, but it seemed to have gotten bigger somehow; if that was even possible.

"Why do you have some many clothes anyways?" Terna demanded as Susan dropped her hand and went over to peruse the nearest rack.  
"All TARDIS' come equipped with a vast variety of clothing items just in case," Susan explained simply, finally selecting a simple outfit consisting of a blouse and slacks from the lineup.

Terna watched her as she moved behind a changing screen.  
"You can just set the dress down in the basket over there," Susan talked as she went, gesturing to a large laundry basket that could have held a good ten loads worth of clothing. It was positioned rather inconspicuously next to a chute of sorts.

"What's that do?" Terna asked as she dropped the torn dress into the basket.

"When clothing is dropped into that basket, the TARDIS takes the clothing down into the inner workings and repairs it. An hour or so later, it comes back to you all nicely washed and mended," Susan explained, reemerging from behind the screen as she spoke, running a hairbrush through her short, dark hair.

"Seems this thing does just about everything," Terna mused, leaning forward ever so slightly to peer into the chute.

"It has to," Susan replied simply. "TARDIS' need to be fully functional so that a Time Lord or Lady can live within them for years if need be."

"Regardless, it doesn't seem I'll be getting my dress back for a while," Terna continued, glancing dejectedly at the heap of torn fabric sitting at the bottom of the basket.

"Oh, there's bound to be another dress for you somewhere," Susan exclaimed with a smile. "There's plenty more to choose from after all."

Terna smiled wryly, glancing out at the vast display of clothes. "Yes, I suppose so."

"Come on. Let's go find you a nice blue one. Blue is definitely your color," Susan declared.

"Your Grandfather said the same thing," Terna mused.

Susan's eyes widened. "He did?"

()()()

"Ah, this one's perfect!" Terna looked up from a wool vest covered in bright red question marks she'd been keenly observing to see Susan had selected a dress from the rack opposite her.  
She gaped as Susan held it aloft. It was form fitting and sapphire blue, ankle-length like her other dress but with a tube top neckline. Blue lace circled up along the bodice to make a collar that came to rest at the throat and then filtered down to create wrist-length sleeves.

"Whoa." Terna breathed.

"Do you like it?" Susan asked, her smile earnest.

"It's is rather nice," Terna admitted.

"Well, go on then. Try it on," Susan insisted.

Terna nodded, ducking behind the changing screen.

Susan's face broke into a wide grin when Terna reemerged a few minutes later, the dress draped fittingly around her slight frame. "Wow! You look amazing," she cried.

Terna blinked in surprise. "You think so?"

"Yes, you're very pretty," Susan replied.

"Even in this old skin?" Terna asked, turning to examine her reflection in the mirror.  
Well, the dress did look alright.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Susan replied simply, walking up behind her and twisting her small, pale hands through Terna's hair. "Terna, if you don't mind, could I do your hair for you?"

Terna glanced at her in surprise. "Why would you want to do my hair?"

"It's so pretty, and it's not like I didn't like the way you had it before, but I don't have long hair to do up any more, and I want to experiment with new styles."

Terna stared at her. "If you don't like your hair short, why don't you wear it long again?"

"Maybe it will be long again," Susan replied thoughtfully.

Terna regarded Susan with a look of confusion, but wasn't allowed to ponder the Time Lady's odd statements much longer as she lead her over to a chair in front of the mirror and got to work.

As Susan twined her fingers through Terna's damp hair, she babbled on about her grandfather and all of the places they'd visited together.  
"I haven't been to many worlds yet," she admitted. "I wasn't allowed to because I'm still young. But I'll be one hundred and forty two next spring," she added proudly.

"Susan," Terna interrupted the young girl's musings. Susan stopped, surprised. It had been the first time Terna had called her by her name. "Why are you being so nice to me?" she continued after a brief pause.

"Why not?" Susan replied, going back to the Lyall's hair, but working a lot slower now. "I'm taking advantage of the fact there's another girl on board the ship now."

"There's Barbara," Terna reminded her.

Susan shrugged. "She was one of my school teachers back on earth. It's not the same. Also, she doesn't understand us as well as you do."

"That might not be such a bad thing," Terna mumbled, a trace of bitterness in her tone.

"And you're a lot more approachable then you were before," Susan continued. "You saved my grandfather after all; I'm grateful for that. Although, you do still antagonize him. I wish you'd stop that."

"He antagonizes me," Terna asserted. At that moment, Susan had put the finishing touches on Terna's hair.

"There, done," she declared. "Take a look."

Terna fell silent so as to cross-examine her reflection. Susan had done a braid that sprouted from her part and then wrapped around the side of her head to curl into the back and vanish into a nest of silver curls that bunched up against the back of her head, dotted in these curls were the slight gleams of small circular gems.

"What do you think?" Susan asked.

"Pearls?" Terna whispered. "You put pearls in my hair?"

"Actually they're called Albu stones. They're from my home planet," Susan asserted. "I used to wear them in my hair back when it was long. I don't have much use for them now." Susan smiled slightly, pulling at a strand of her short, choppy cut. "But, honestly, do you like it?" Susan repeated her inquiry about her hairdressing skills.

"Yes," Terna replied promptly, reaching into the pocket of her bathrobe. She pulled out a bag that contained her band crown and bracelets, all studded with jewels in an elaborate swirl pattern.  
She examined herself keenly as she adjusted the jewelry, sliding the crown into place to rest amongst the curls. "But it's still missing something. Does the wardrobe have any makeup?"

"Of course, it's in there with the jewelry." Susan pointed to the closet set in the corner of the wardrobe. "I don't use it much though. I've never been very good at makeup." Terna nodded, noting the young girl's bare features.

"If you want, I could show you a few pointers?" she offered.

Susan brightened. "Really?"

"Sure, why not," Terna replied simply.

The two girls, one old and one young in appearance alone, gathered together in the narrow closet space, carefully dabbing and curling delicate brushes across their pale features in order to highlight or sharpen their better qualities to perfection.  
"I look like a princess," Susan gazed in awe as soon as Terna finished applying a rose-pink shadow to her eyes.

"Yeah, I guess you kinda do," Terna agreed. "But I'm surprised you've never done this kind of thing before. Don't you have a mom or older sisters to show you the cosmetic ropes?"

Susan dropped her eyes. "No. My parents died when I was a baby, and I never had any siblings. I was brought up in an orphanage until I was taken to the Academy at age eight."

"They send you to school that young?" Terna whistled. "Hard core."

"What about you?" Susan inquired, seemingly eager to steer the conversation elsewhere. "Did you have any siblings?"

Terna refrained from answering right away, leaning closer to the mirror so as to rub a silvery gloss across her lips. She blinked her blue-shadowed eyes a few times to ensure that their mascara-coated lashes didn't clump together. "Yeah, I had two older sisters, two older brothers, and another younger brother," she finally stated.

"Wow, that's a big family," Susan stated.

"All Lyall families are big," Terna replied simply, opening a drawer and fishing around amongst the contents. "Hey, look at this." She pulled out a vial of nail polish.

"Wow, that's such a pretty shade of blue," Susan exclaimed. "It's the same color as the outside of the TARDIS. Hey, it's TARDIS blue!"

"What is it exactly?" Terna inquired, holding the bottle closer to her face.

"It's nail polish; you use it to paint your nails," Susan explained.

"Why would you want to paint your finger nails?" Terna made a face.

"Because it looks pretty," Susan asserted. "Come on. Let's go back to the console, and I'll show you."

Terna glanced down. "Can you do my feet to? I recently discovered I have rather unappealing toenails."

()()()

Terna and Susan were the first ones back on the Bridge. The busted console fizzed and popped in a somewhat surly manner as they settled themselves done on an Ancient Greek lounge sofa, and Susan then proceeded to paint Terna's nails.  
"So, you've never done your nails before?" Susan exclaimed as she applied the thick paint to Terna's fingers.

"No," Terna replied simply. "I didn't have any need for it in my true form."

"Oh, I see," Susan's voice trailed off. "There! All done," she added a moment later. Terna held her hands aloft to observe the glossy sheen applied to her nails.

"Why, hello, beautiful." Terna glanced up just as the Doctor sidled into the room. He gave her a wry smile. Terna rolled her eyes

"Like her hair, Grandfather? I did it myself," Susan exclaimed proudly.

"Sadly your coy remark goes unappreciated as you insist on stating the obvious, Time Lord." Terna added with a grin as she got to her feet and spun once on the spot.

The Doctor arched an eyebrow. "More blue? I'd say that's going to be your color from now on."

"I agree," Susan smiled brightly. "I picked it out."

"Glad to see someone's getting along on this mad little trip," the Doctor stated, brushing past Terna and heading over to the console. "The pearls are a nice touch," he added over his shoulder.

Terna's face flushed with a mixture of anger and-Was it embarrassment?

Slightly puzzled, she sat back down on the couch beside Susan, who got to work on painting her toes.

At that moment, Ian and Barbara entered. Both now clean-faced and combed back to perfection but still wearing the same clothes as before.

"Ms. Wright, do you want me to paint your nails?" Susan asked.

"No thanks," Barbara replied, shaking her head. "I got a manicure just last week."

"Your loss," Terna murmured, not looking up from the nail painting.

Ian smiled wryly at her. "Look at you, sprawled on that couch like a princess."

"I'm a queen actually," Terna replied without looking up.

"That explains a lot," the Doctor grumbled.

Terna shot him a glare. "Oh, you're hilarious," she snapped sarcastically.

"You did tell me to humor you," the Doctor reminded her.

"Wait. You're serious?" Ian exclaimed, before Terna could respond to the Doctor.

"Of course I'm serious," Terna shot back.

"You truly are a queen?" Barbara whispered.

"Why would I have any reason to say I was if I wasn't?" Terna demanded.

"So you ruled over the Lyall people as their Queen, Terna?" Susan asked.

"Yes, on my home world, there were four women who ruled our people." Terna paused briefly to switch feet, and Susan quickly dabbed the brush in the bottle of polish. "My mother was the Reginam Maximum, the High Queen. My two older sisters were the Corpus Reginam and the Mens Reginam: Queens of the Body and Mind. I, the third daughter, am the Animalus Reginam: Queen of the Soul."

Having finished painting, Susan caped her bottle, and Terna lightly blew on her toenails so as to dry them.

"If you're a Queen, what are you doing here?" Barbara inquired.

Terna glanced up at her. The Doctor, who'd only vaguely been listening, once again caught a glimpse of some kind of darkness move across her face. "I was put in a compromising situation," Terna explained, not caring to elaborate further as she got to her feet once more.

"Enough about that," the Doctor waved their conversation aside. "Now that we're all clean and refreshed, let us venture outside and see what this new world has to offer us. I'd much like to know where we are."

"Yes, let's," Terna seemed oddly eager to dismiss the conversation as well. The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her.

"Funny, Terna, I had thought you'd protest."

"I'm just as curious about this planet as you, Time Lord," Terna replied simply.

"Alright, let's go then," Susan exclaimed, eagerly jumping to her feet.

The Doctor pulled the lever on the console that opened the doors, with a faint hum they swung open, and a flurry of ash and steamy mist, like that from shower water, billowed across the threshold from the outside.

"Are you two coming?" the Doctor asked Ian and Barbara.  
The two humans exchanged a glance.

"Might as well," Ian finally said with a shrug.

The group slowly and cautiously ventured out of the TARDIS and into the forest.  
It was as still and silent as a graveyard; the trees clawing up from the parched dirt as though fighting to escape the infertile soil.  
Everything was coated with a faint layer of white powder, so the scene looked like some kind of eerie Christmas card photo.

Terna hugged her arms despite the balmy air. Almost as soon as she stepped over the threshold, she'd become consumed in a kind of dense, heavy feeling that weighed on her chest, and made a sense of dread squirm in the pit of her stomach. There was some kind of_ wrongness_ in the air that disturbed her greatly the more she thought about it.

"There's been a forest fire," Barbara observed. "Everything's all white and ashy."

"The heat must have been indescribable," the Doctor agreed, pausing to kneel down and gather up a handful of the scorched dirt. "Look at this. It's all been turned to dust and ashes." He passed a handful to Barbara and Susan.

"Ashes?" Terna bent down towards the ground and trailed her magnifying glass across its surface. "How could shrubs and trees grow in soil like this?"

"Extraordinary, isn't it?" the Doctor exclaimed.

"Unnatural is what it is," Terna replied, pocketing her glass and rising to her feet.

A soft, cool breeze suddenly feathered its way across her face, faintly disturbing the tight curls gathered behind her head.  
"This breeze is blowing…How strange," Ian's voice trailed off.

"What is it?" Susan asked.

"Look at the branches; they're not moving," Ian exclaimed, pointing to the surrounding plant life.

"You're right," Barbara cried in astonishment. "They're completely still."

Terna gazed around. The still silence of the trees, the ash for dirt, and still that dark feeling crept across her skin like pins and needles. She held the glass aloft, running it across the nearest tree. There was something very, very off about this place, and the sensation only grew stronger and darker the longer she stood there.

"Would you look at these trees," Ian exclaimed from beside her, pricking off the tip of one of the branches. "It's made of stone; it crumbles in your fingers," he said to Barbara and Susan.  
"Stone…" Terna slowly reached out and place her palm across the smooth, cold surface of the stone tree's trunk. As soon as she did so, she gasped as a feeling like all her insides were melting washed over her. She staggered back with a cry and fell to the ground.

"Terna, what's wrong?" Susan asked, kneeling beside her. Terna grasped at her torso, breathing heavily as sweat bloomed on her forehead.

"This is impossible," Terna whispered, shaking off Susan's helping hand and scrambling to her feet. "There is not a single living thing in this entire forest, and these trees…they're not even stone. Stone is a natural ore found in the planet's surface." Terna's voice failed her as she turned to face the others. "It's unnatural, all of this is unnatural."

"What do you mean, Terna?" the Doctor demanded.

"What I mean, Time Lord, is that somehow this planet's Amina, it's very core existence that makes up the base of the world and all the beings that inhabit it, has been ripped clean from it, making it completely empty."

Terna felt faint, like her legs were made of jelly. She slumped down against a tree, curling into a ball as her limbs started to tremble as though she was overcome by a sudden chill.

"Terna, you're not well," Barbara exclaimed, kneeling down beside her.

"Of course I'm not well," Terna snapped. "This planet goes against everything my people stand for. Its very nature is unholy, blasphemous. A place like this simply should not, _cannot_ exist. "

"What could have done this?" Susan asked, slight fear in her eyes.

"I don't know," Terna admitted, sliding back to her feet for a third time. "If there were more Lyall in the universe, we would use our Psychic Amina to wipe this abomination off the face of the universe, but there's only me left, and I'm not at my full strength. I don't know what I can do.

Out of the corner of her eye, Terna caught a glimpse of Ian and Barbra staring at her in surprise at this revelation about the nature of her people.

"Well, there's one thing we can be certain of," the Doctor declared, "A simple forest fire didn't cause all of the life force to be ripped from this world.""

"Then what did cause it, Grandfather?" Susan asked.

"I don't know, but I intend to find out," the Doctor replied before turning sharply and heading off deeper into the stone forest.

"I'm coming to. I need to get to the bottom of this," Terna agreed, stumbling off after the Doctor and Susan.

Ian and Barbara hung back. "Ian, where are we?" Barbara whispered.

"I don't know."

"Why doesn't the Doctor take us back?"

"I'm not sure that he can. Ian's voice was grim. He paused when he saw Barbara's face go very white. "I don't like it any more than you, but there's nothing we can do."

"We could always stay near the ship," Barbara offered.

"The ship's no good without him," Ian reminded her. "I suggest we keep an eye on him, as well as the other two. They seem to have a knack for getting themselves in trouble."

"Do you think there's any danger?" Barbara inquired.

"Not necessarily," Ian replied, "But we can't be too careful."

"Then what are we to do?" Barbara exclaimed. "I just wish…" Her voice broke.

"Hey, we'll be alright," Ian reassured, gently patting her shoulder. "After all, you have me to protect you."

Barbara smiled. "Yes, you're right. Well, I suppose we better make sure the Doctor doesn't fall down and break a leg, although he does kind of deserve it."

"Yes, I suppose he does," Ian agreed.

After a minute more, the two humans hurried off into the petrified brush after the three aliens.

The group moved through the still, silent jungle at a slow, cautious pace.  
The Doctor took the lead with Terna trailing behind him, hugging herself so as to somehow retain a little self-control. Her insides felt all tight and jittery, and her nerves didn't help the feeling that she was about to explode.  
This place was all wrong, and it was freaking her out. But she couldn't leave; she had to find out the origin of this empty world.

"Grandfather, look!" Susan, who was behind Terna, suddenly called, crouching down beside another of the stone trees. "It's a flower, a perfect flower. It's even still got some of its color."  
She was referring to a single, pale pink tulip-like flower that was growing out of a grove in the tree roots.

"Yes, yes, very pretty," the Doctor murmured distractedly while Terna regarded the flower as though it might explode. Not a drop of Anima in it either.

"Here. Look at this," Susan called to Ian and Barbara, who had just caught up with them.

"Oh, that's beautiful." Ian showed much more interest in the flower, genuflecting beside Susan so as to get a better look.

"Are you feeling any better, Terna?" Barbara inquired, stepping over Ian and Susan so as to move closer to the Lyall. "You still look very pale."

Terna licked her dry lips. "My own soul is fighting my body," she whispered. "Every pore in my being is screaming at me to get away, but I can't. I have to find who made this world and stop it."  
"Who?" Barbara whispered.

"Or what," Terna replied grimly. She turned to follow the Doctor, who had trudged on ahead. Barbara did as well, but suddenly stopped. "Ian," she called.

\"What?" Ian got up with such haste from his attempt at picking Susan's flower that he shattered it and left the shards in the poor girl's hands. He rushed to Barbara, who was frozen on the spot.

Terna followed her gaze and soon saw why. Crouched on a rock a short ways from them was a giant, spiny lizard covered in a smooth, metallic skin and with giant, fat eyes. It was a still as a statue, and its glossy steel skin gleamed in the pale light.

"_Sanctum inferno!_ * What is that?" Terna cried.

Ian braced himself, taking a cautious step forward.  
"No!" Barbara gripped his arm and held him back just as the Doctor came back down the path after them.  
Slowly, Ian waved his hand in front of the still lizard's face. They all held their breath for the mere space of a heartbeat, but the creature didn't move.

"It's alright," Ian reassured the others. "Just like everything else in this place: solid stone." He rapped his knuckles sharply on the creature's head to emphasize.

"It's hideous," Barbara whispered.

"And poisonous from the looks of it," Terna added gravely. "I wouldn't touch those spines." Ian quickly redrew his hand just as the Doctor approached the frozen creature.

"Well, you're right about one thing, Chesterton. It is solidified, but it's not crumbling stone." The Doctor knocked his fist against the creature's side. "It's metal. It always was."

"You mean it was _alive_ when it was like this?" Ian cried, "But that's impossible."

"Is it?" the Doctor smiled. "Are you incapable of processing life unless its flesh and bone?"

"But it couldn't have been_ born_ that way," Terna insisted. "Artificial life of metal and electricity doesn't create itself; someone else has to make it. That's why it's called artificial."

"Indeed, quite the puzzle. Care to solve it with me, Terna?" the Doctor continued to smile as he offered his arm to Terna in a half-joking fashion.

Terna regarded him darkly. "This is not meant to be enjoyable, Time Lord," she stated. "There are forces at work here that are entirely malign; whatever it is that has created this abomination has strained the fabrics of the universe itself."

"Morbid," the Doctor dropped his arm and then continued off down the path.

"We aren't on earth anymore, that's for sure," Barbara whispered weakly.  
Ian nodded, looking dismayed.

"Grandfather, look!" Susan, who had hurried ahead of her grandfather, called back to him. "The jungle ends over here."

"What's beyond it?" Terna asked, rushing up to her with the two humans close behind her.

They broke the tree line out onto a kind of ridge or plateau. Beyond them, the ground slopped sharply downward to form a kind of cliff that then broadened out into a vast valley.  
The valley was completely bare and covered in the same ashy dirt as the forest.  
However, in the very center there was a gigantic city; it glistened in the open air with buildings made of pearly white stone, standing resolute and immaculate; the only pure item amongst the otherwise dead and dusty world.

"Fascinating!" the Doctor exclaimed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pair of miniature  
binoculars.

"Any sign of life, Doctor?" Ian inquired as the Time Lord held them in front of his face.

"No, no, no sign of life. Only buildings," he replied.

"I'm not picking up any Anima readings either," Terna added, holding up her magnifying glass.

"That doesn't really tell us anything," the Doctor mused.

Terna whirled to face him. "Are you suggesting the astrological impossibly that a sentient life force can exist without their core genetic essence? I think not, you absurd old fool."

"Do not be so obtuse, Terna. We are standing on a planet entirely devoid of this substance you call Anima, another prospect that you claimed to be impossible and yet here it is."

"Do you think there could be people down there, Doctor?" Barbara inquired before Terna could respond.

"It's impossible to survive without Force Anima," the Lyall insisted.

"Magnificent buildings," the Doctor continued, ignoring both of them as he trailed the scope of the binoculars across the scape of the city.

"Ooh, can I see, Grandfather?" Susan asked, and the Doctor passed them to her. Susan took a look and then handed them to Barbara.

Meanwhile, Ian pulled the Doctor and Terna aside. "What do you make of this?" he inquired of them.

"I don't know; I don't know," the Doctor mused.

"Whatever it was that destroyed the vegetation doesn't seem to have touched the city," Terna stated,

"Yes, it's all very unusual. Well, I shall know more about it when I go down there," the Doctor declared.

"Down there? Oh no, we're going back to the ship," Barbara, who had overheard, asserted firmly.

"No, I agree. We should go down there," Terna shot back.

Everyone gave her a curious look.  
"You're agreeing with me?" the Doctor exclaimed, surprised.

Terna sighed. "Yes, I can't believe I just said that out loud. Anyway, there's a universal impossibility on this world and that city could hold the answer."

"Yes, it is a prime specimen for study," the Doctor stated

"Study? It's a matter that could threaten the existence of the entire universe," Terna cried.

"Must you be so dramatic?" the Doctor turned to her with a look of exasperation. "Furthermore, I have no intention of leaving this world until that city is properly investigated," he added to the others.

"Well, there's no point in talking about it now," Ian stopped the argument short, glancing skyward as he spoke. "It'll be dark soon. Let's discuss this further when we get back to the ship."

Terna, having been so focused on the state of the planet itself had failed to notice the pallor of the scape growing dimmer as the weak sun slowly sank deeper into the ash-colored sky, the inky shadows trickling further across the parched ground.  
She shivered as her insides twisted.

"Let's go back to the ship, Grandfather," Susan said to the Doctor. "There's no point in discussing this now."

"Alright, but I'm determined to study that city," the Doctor announced.

"You can do whatever you like," Ian replied dismissively. "As long as you don't endanger the rest of us…Terna, are you alright?" Ian lunged forward suddenly, and Terna collapsed unevenly into his arms.

The Lyall slumped forward, cursing her own weakness the whole way down. But it couldn't be  
helped; the emptiness of this world was gnawing at her from the inside, and it was driving her mad with the great gaping void it created inside her.

"I'm fine. I just got a little giddy for a second," Terna insisted, wriggling out of Ian's grasp and taking a step back so as to lean against a nearby tree.

"Yes, I think it's time we headed back to the ship. You're not well, Terna," Barbara agreed. "Come on." She tried to take Terna's arm, but the Lyall shook her off.

"I don't need your help," she insisted, pushing past her and disappearing back into the steadily darkening woods.

As they trudged back through the forest, the deafening silence pressed against the bodies of the five travelers. Terna took the lead with Barbara and Ian behind her, and the Doctor and Susan bringing up the rear.  
"Are you sure this is the way we came, Terna?" Ian asked, cursing quietly as he stumbled over a protruding root.

"Yes, and there is no need to doubt otherwise," Terna declared. "The TARDIS is the only thing aside for us on this entire planet that has Amina. That makes it as easy as finding an ink spot on a white garment. Furthermore…" Terna suddenly froze, an abrupt cold feeling washing over her, as though her blood was turning to ice.

"What is it?" Barbara demanded.

"Shh," Terna pressed a patronizing finger to her lips as she slowly turned around.

"Why have we stopped?" the Doctor demanded, coming up behind Barbara and Ian, who were watching Terna with bewildered expressions.

"I said shut up," the Lyall hissed, her eyes scanning the stretch of bleak woods on either side of them. "I just felt a flicker of something living amongst all this void," she breathed to the others, pausing to lick her drying lips.

"Are you certain you felt something?" the Doctor demanded.

"Loud and clear, sharper than normal as nothing else on this planet exhibits any remnant of it." Terna paused. "Time Lord, where's Susan?"

The Doctor spun around. "She was right behind me!" he cried.

At that moment, Susan's scream ripped through the silence.  
"Susan!" the Doctor took off running back down the path, Terna and the other two close behind.

The Doctor collided head on with Susan, who was stumbling along through the brush in a panicked frenzy.  
"Alright, Susan; it's alright," he attempted to console the terror-stricken girl as she buried her face in his chest.

"What's happened?" Terna demanded, coming up behind them.

"It touched me. Something touched me!" Susan cried.

"Now, don't be ridiculous, child," the Doctor exclaimed. "There's no life on this world. Nothing is out there to harm you; you must have imagined it."

"No, I didn't," Susan insisted. "There was something there."

"She could very well be right," Terna mused. "I did just feel some spark of life somewhere in these woods that wasn't far from us. It was faint and fleeting, but it was still there."

The Doctor shot her a 'you're not helping' glare before throwing his arm around Susan's shoulders and ushering her back in the direction of the TARDIS. The young girl sniffled wearily.

"What was it, do you think?" Barbara asked as the Doctor lead his granddaughter past her and Ian.

Terna regarded them with a grim expression. "I don't wish to alarm you, but I don't think we're entirely alone on this planet."

()()()

Terna reclined on the Greek sofa in the TARDIS Console Room, admiring the shine of her newly painted nails poking out of her open-toed heels. She glanced up when she heard the Doctor enter.  
"Is Susan alright?" she asked lazily.

"Barbara's talking to her," the Doctor replied. "I tried to convince her that there was nothing out there in the woods, but she wouldn't be dissuaded. I thought Barbara might have better luck." He paused in front of Terna. "Would you sit up? That's not _your_ couch, you know."

Terna scowled. "Why should I?"

"Must you question everything I say?" the Doctor snapped, annoyed, as he lightly wacked Terna in the ankle with the butt of his cane. Reluctantly, she pulled her knees into her chest, allowing the Doctor room to sit down beside her.

"Did you know I won this couch in a poker match against Julius Caesar? I think you'd like him; he was a horribly unpleasant person."

"Tiberius was worse," Terna replied, ignoring the jab. "Also, since when did Roman Emperors play poker?"  
The Doctor didn't answer. Terna examined him keenly as he fumbled with his handkerchief. "You're put off by something," she observed. "Worried about Susan?"

"Of course I am," the Doctor snapped, "She was thrown into hysterics out there, and my best attempts to console her failed. Sometimes I find the age gap between Susan and myself to be quite unnerving."

"Having single parent troubles?" Terna snickered. The Doctor regarded her with a look of confusion. "Susan told me her parents were dead, and she was raised as a child in an orphanage. Did you only recently find her and gain custody as her last living relative?"

"Susan and are aren't blood related. She simply calls me 'grandfather' as she has nothing else to call me."

"And because calling someone simply 'Doctor' is just stupid," Terna added. "However, I do not think she merely _calls_ you grandfather but considers you to be such as well. She speaks fondly of you."

"Well, that's _one_ person."

Terna snorted. "Don't take it personally; you're a hard person to like."

"As are you," the Doctor replied, chuckling slightly.

Terna sat up, laughing as well, and her eyes met with the Doctor's for a brief moment. Something passed across both their faces in that single instant, and Terna got a good look at his eyes for the first time.  
There was something odd about them. At first, she'd merely deduced it was because they looked so young as opposed to the rest of his face, which appeared so old. However, now that Terna thought about it, there was something else…

At that moment, there was an abrupt clatter. Both the Doctor and Terna whirled around to see Ian had stumbled headlong into the console.  
"Oh, sorry, am I interrupting something?" Ian asked, pulling himself off the console rather breathlessly.

"_Propter Duem_*, do you have two left feet?" Terna exclaimed in exasperation as the Doctor jumped to his feet and hurried over to the console just as Ian was pulling himself off it.

"Sorry, I just got a little dizzy for a moment," Ian exclaimed sheepishly.

"Get up before you break something else," the Doctor snapped at him, pushing Ian aside so as it examine the console, wiping flecks of dirt from Ian's sweater off the surface.

Ian gazed down at the vast array of buttons and knobs while the Doctor fiddled with a few of them. "I don't know how you make sense of all this."

"You're quite right; you're quite right," the Doctor murmured distractedly, ignoring Ian as he fumbled with the buttons.

"Have you found out where we are yet?" Ian added.

"Hmm?" the Doctor glanced up.

"Where are we?" Ian repeated, "Do you know?"

"My dear boy, these are terrible questions of yours."

"Listen, Doctor, I don't want to argue with you, but we are fellow travelers whether you like it or not. For heaven's sake, try to see it from our point of view!" Ian cried, "You ripped us violently from our own lives-."

"Actually, you pushed your way into the ship," Terna interrupted from her spot on the couch.

"Alright, a small part of the blame is on us," Ian admitted.

"Ha! Small," the Doctor laughed.

"But naturally we are anxious," Ian continued. "What are we going to do if the TARDIS continues to malfunction like this? What if we can't get home? Can we live here? What can we eat?"

"Eat? What a good idea," the Doctor exclaimed distractedly, apparently only having heard the end of Ian's raving.

With that, he turned on his heel and headed out of the Console Room.

"Hey, where are you going?" Terna called after him, jumping up from the couch.

The Doctor didn't respond; Terna and Ian exchanged a glance before hurrying after him.

They followed the Time Lord down one of the TARDIS's long, white halls and into a side room around the corner on the left. Susan and Barbara were there, along with a gigantic machine which took up most of the room.

Terna eyed it curiously as she entered; the device made a series of strange mechanical popping sounds and flashed several different colors.

"Are you alright, Barbara?" Ian asked.  
Terna turned her attention away from the machine to see Barbara was sitting at a table, holding her head in her hands. Susan was standing beside her, dispensing several drops of a clear liquid into a glass of water.

"I'm alright; I just suddenly got this terrible headache," the human woman replied.

"Don't worry; this will cure it quickly," Susan explained as she put in a few more drops of the substance.

"Careful, not too much," the Doctor urged her as Susan finished preparing the drink and then handed it to Barbara.

"Here you are."

"Thank you," Barbara said, taking a sip; her face broke into a relieved smile, "Oh that's much better."

"Well, that's good," Ian declared.

"Now, who wants something to eat?" the Doctor asked as he strode over to the machine in the corner.

"So, what? Does that machine cook or something?" Terna asked, gesturing to the device.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," the Doctor replied. "Now, what would you like?"

"How about bacon and eggs?" Barbara asked.

"Sure, why not," the Doctor replied as he turned to the machine and punched a few buttons.

"I'll have some too," Ian added.

The Doctor hit a few more buttons; there was a pause and then the machine went wild. It lit up like a series of fireworks on the Fourth of July with several popping, buzzing, and whirling noises. There was a loud 'bing' and then the machine fell silent as two white squares suddenly slid out onto a small tray at the bottom of the machine.

Everyone stared at them.  
"That's it?" Terna asked.

"That's it? That's it! Don't you realize what this is?" the Doctor exclaimed. He plucked the squares off the tray and passed them to Ian and Barbara, "Take a bit. Go on."

Ian and Barbara exchanged a glass before eyeing their respective squares nervously. Finally, Barbara took a tentative bite.

"Well?" the Doctor asked impatiently.

Barbara's eyes widened. "Why, it's delicious!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, mine's not bad either," Ian added after taking a bite.

"What's it taste like?" Terna inquired.

"It's the strangest thing," Barbara mused, "One bite I taste bacon, the next bite I taste eggs."

Terna arched an eyebrow. "How in the name of-"

"Do you want something, Terna?" Susan piped.

Terna blinked, startled. "I guess…um, apple pie?"

"Coming right up." Susan pushed another series of buttons, the same sequence as before occurred and then a third square, identical to Ian and Barbara's, appeared in the dish.

"That's gonna taste like apple pie?" Terna was unconvinced.

"Go on. Try it," Susan urged, passing her the square.

Terna took, gingerly taking a bite. Her eyes widened. Despite the bland appearance of the substance, the richest, creamiest, crispiest, sweetest, tangiest apple pie she'd ever tasted spread across her tongue.

"Well?" Susan asked, laughing at the Lyall's expression.

"It's not bad," Terna replied with a shrug, although she took another generous bite out of her square.

As Susan turned back to the machine to program food for her grandfather and herself, Ian turned to the Doctor.  
"This is absolutely incredible. How do you do it, Doctor?" he asked the Time Lord.

"Food has component parts, dear boy," the Doctor explained simply, "Flavors are rather like primary colors, you know, you blend two to achieve a third, a fourth, etc, etc"

"It's marvelous," Ian exclaimed, taking another bite, "The bacon's a bit salty."

The Doctor scowled, "It shouldn't be. It's English."

Terna laughed as Ian and Barbara went and sat down at the table in the corner, Susan following them. "Perhaps your machine doesn't work quite as well as you made it seem, Time Lord," the Lyall remarked.

He glared at her, "Oh, shut up and eat your pie."

Terna grinned, "Make me."

"Are you two fighting again?" Susan called over to them before the Doctor could respond. They lapsed into silence for a few moments; the Doctor nibbling on the end of his own flavor square while Terna finished her apple pie cube.

"Did you know that the apple is the oldest fruit in the universe?" she asked, "Every single planet has a variation of it somewhere on their world. Maybe the planet we're on now even did once."

"This place is truly unnerving to you, isn't it?" the Doctor asked

"As it very well should be. I'd be mad not to be greatly disturbed by this place."

"As it goes against everything you as a Lyall were created for," the Doctor mused.

"Time Lord," Terna turned to face the Doctor completely. "I have a reason for wishing to explore this empty world, but why do you want to?"

"Another thing about us Time Lords, my dear Terna, is that we are as curious as we are prideful," the Doctor replied with a wry smile.

"_Suum cique_,*" Terna replied dryly.

"How's your headache, Barbara," Ian feeling?" Ian asked when he and the others had finished their 'meal'.

"Much better," she replied. "It's funny; I don't usually get headaches."

"You're probably exhausted," Susan suggested.

"Yes, probably, I think I'll go to bed," Barbara declared, getting to her feet.

"Alright, I'll show you where you can sleep," Susan offered, when suddenly there was a sharp tapping sound.

Everyone froze. The tapping noise came again a few seconds later then repeated again at a more rhythmic pace. It was coming from the Console Room down the hall.

"What was that?" Ian breathed.

"The scanner," the Doctor hissed. He then bolted out of the room with the other four rushes behind him.

They all burst into the Console Room and the Doctor activated the screen that displayed what was outside.  
"I knew someone was there," Susan added definitively as everyone gathered around the view screen.  
When the image came into clarity, it showed nothing but the still, dark forest as empty as when they'd left it.

"There's nothing there," Ian declared.

"But something must have made that noise," Susan insisted.

"Oh, I've had enough of this," Barbara cried. "Can't we get out of here?" she asked the Doctor.

"No, we can't leave yet," Terna asserted.

"Yes, there's the city; I must see the city," the Doctor agreed.

"But why?" Barbara demanded.

"I will not be questioned," the Doctor shot Barbara down.

"Why do you insist on endangering the rest of us by staying here?" Ian cried.

"Grandfather, please, let's leave," Susan pleaded with her Grandfather.

The Doctor paused, noting Susan's wide, terror-filled eyes.  
Sighing, he moved over to the controls and pulled the lever to start the TARDIS; the stunted humming could be heard

\"What are you doing?" Terna cried. "We can't leave without knowing what made this impossible world. We can't leave now. Time Lord!" she shouted, but the Doctor ignored her.

However, there was suddenly a series of high-pitched popping noises and then a loud bang that sent a tremor throughout the whole system.

"What's happened?" Barbara cried.

"I think we've landed," Terna observed.

"But how can we have? We just took off!" Ian exclaimed.

The Doctor, meanwhile, had bent down and opened a hatch under the control panel; he took out a small glass vial. "Oh, I see, the fluid link," he announced, holding the vial aloft. "It would seem it unscrewed itself and all the fluid's run out."

"Well, have you got a spare?" Ian demanded.

"Oh there's no need for that," the Doctor replied simply. "We can just refill it and for that all we need is some mercury."

"Oh, excellent! Where is it? I'll get it for you," Ian offered.

"Oh, we don't have any," the Doctor replied.

"What?" Ian was aghast. "Don't you carry a supply?"

"No, we haven't any need; this has never happened before," the Doctor explained.

"You must have some surely as just a safety precaution," Ian protested.

"No, none at all; we'll have to get some from outside," the Doctor asserted.

Terna stood silently, watching the Doctor argue with Ian. Odd that a ship as well-stocked as the TARDIS wouldn't have something as simple as a spare vial of mercury.  
"But where would we find mercury out there?" Barbara demanded. "There isn't anything out there but stone."

"Yes, there is," the Doctor cast a sideways glance at Terna. "There's the city."  
Terna arched an eyebrow.  
"Yes, of course; we're bound to get some mercury there!" the Doctor continued.

"It would seem we have no alternative; we'll have to go back to the city," Ian stated dryly.

Terna glanced from him to the Doctor. When her eyes met with the latter, he saw her subtly wink at her.  
She fought to suppress a smile.

()()()

The following morning, after getting very little sleep, everyone gathered once more in the Console Room.  
Terna strode in second only to the Doctor, once again dressed in her original blue halter dress that had recently been cleaned and repaired.  
Her braided hair was draped loosely over her shoulder as it spilled out from around crown, and Susan's pearls wound their way through the silvery strands.

Everyone gathered around the scanner and the image of the bleak, grey, eerily empty forest met them.  
"Well, it's light enough; we might as well get started," Ian declared grimly. "Oh, and Doctor, we're going to this city to find mercury; once we've found it, we're coming straight back here. Do you understand?"

"Yes, of course," the Doctor replied with an innocent smile. Terna bit her lip to contain a laugh.

With that, they exited the TARDIS.  
Terna had second thoughts about leaving the ship almost as soon as they stepped out. Her heart plummeted into her stomach as all the color left her face; it felt as though a series of pins and needles shot up and down her bare arms. She hugged herself, grip tightening on her trusty magnifying glass.  
"Hey, look at that!" Ian cried. Everyone glanced down to see that they had almost walked right past a small, metal box about the size of a pencil case inconspicuously lying on the forest floor.

"Don't touch it, Ian; it could be a bomb," Barbara warned as he bent down to investigate.

"What is it Chesterton?" the Doctor asked, crouching beside him.

"I don't know," Ian replied.

"I don't think it's a bomb," Terna asserted.

"Can't be too careful though. Stand back, all of you," Ian instructed the others as he snatched a long tree branch from the ground.

They obliged, and Ian slowly leaned forward, gently prodding the box with the very tip of the stick. Everyone covered their faces.  
Nothing.

Ian tapped the box twice on top and then whacked it against the side.  
"I think it's alright," he announced. "It's just an ordinary box."

"Let me take a look inside," the Doctor said as he and the others all gathered around Ian. He opened the box and pulled out one of many glass vials all lined up neatly inside.  
"Huh, very peculiar," he mused.

"Here, let me see," Terna asked. The Doctor passed the bottle to her, and Terna held her magnifying glass up to it. "Looks to be some kind of synthesized DNA strand," she announced after a moment's scrutiny.

"So, there _was_ someone here last night," Susan exclaimed. "Whoever, it was must have dropped this box."

"Yes. Sorry we didn't believe you, Susan," Ian apologized.

"Needless to say, I'd like to run a few tests on these." The Doctor took the vial back from Terna and gave the whole box to Susan. "Susan, would you put these in the ship," he instructed his granddaughter, who nodded and quickly did so.

"Oh, and did you remember the food supply?" the Doctor asked once she'd reemerged.  
"Yes, a day's worth just as you asked," Susan replied, patting the pouch full of flavor squares resting at her side.

"I don't think we should be more than a couple of hours," Ian declared.

"Yes, come along everyone." The Doctor ignored Ian's statement, and everyone headed off into the woods bound for the city beyond.

()()()

"The term ghost town comes to mind," Terna announced.  
The sun beat down overhead through the grey cloud layer signifying it had been several hours since leaving the TARDIS.

After the darkness of the forest and the rugged terrain of the cliff side, the bright, white emptiness of the city was a stark contrast.  
Smooth polished buildings rose up from all sides; equally white pillars spiraled up from the metal floor.  
There wasn't a speck of natural land anywhere, not even a park or a garden; everything was covered in some kind of artificial material.  
And, just like the view from the cliff, there didn't seem to be any signs of life.

"Might I sit down for a minute?" the Doctor asked breathlessly as Susan led him over to a nearby wall, and he leaned against it.

"Are you alright?" Ian inquired as the Doctor slumped into a sitting position.

"Yes, yes, just a little tired," the Doctor replied dismissively.

"How about you, Terna?" Ian inquired.

Terna, who'd been trailing the view of her magnifying glass across the side of a nearby building, shot him a dirty look.

"No signs of life," she declared. "Nothing in this city but empty buildings it would seem."

"Perhaps the inhabitants all fled because of what happened to the forest," Susan offered.

"That would be the most plausible explanation," the Doctor agreed.

"Here, you rest and we'll search for the mercury," Barbara offered him.

"No, I want to look around too," the Doctor insisted. "I'll be alright in a minute."

"I must say, I don't feel too good myself," Ian mused, rubbing his forehead. "We best find what we need quickly."

"Right, look for instruments, gauges, ideally what we really need is a laboratory," Terna instructed the others.

Barbara nodded, turning from the wall; as she did so, a door in said wall suddenly appeared sliding open to reveal a gloomy hallway.

Barbara and Ian exchanged a glance. "Why don't we separate and go different ways; we'll cover more ground that way," Ian suggested.

"Right, I'll go this way," Barbara stated, moving towards the door she'd accidentally opened.

"Alright, Susan, help me up," the Doctor asked, and his granddaughter aided him in getting to his feet. "We'll head further along these stretch of buildings," he added to Ian and Terna.

The latter nodded. "I guess I'm stuck with you, human," she added to Ian.  
Ian didn't respond to her quip; he was too busy absentmindedly waving his hands in front of an identical door on the opposite wall from the one Barbara had just walked through.  
"It's motion detected," Terna informed him.  
Ian continued his senseless waving. "Like this." Slightly exasperated, Terna leaned forward and moved her hand over a small sensory pad beside the closed door.  
There was a faint hum, and then it slowly slid open.

"Oh, I see," Ian exclaimed brightly. "Like automatic sliding doors at the mall."

Terna fixed him with an odd look. "Yeah. Sure."

Ian then passed through the door and into the long, looming hallway beyond with Terna close behind him.  
"Terna, wait up!" she whirled around to see Susan come up behind her with the Doctor half-walking, half-leaning on his granddaughter beside her. Terna arched an eyebrow.

"Back so soon?"

"All of the doors along the street that we tried were securely locked, even after we attempted to motion activate them," the Doctor explained.

"I see. Better come with us then," Terna recommended, and the two Time Lords agreed, following her and Ian down the halls.

As they walked, a faint humming sound could be heard followed by the strained whine as a serious of exhausted bulbs slowly fizzled to life, illuminating a pale, empty hallway lined with minimal doors and not a single window. Entrances that lead to more hallways, branching off from the main, showed them all to be identical to the first.

"It's like a labyrinth down here," Susan observed.

"Yes, easy to get lost. I hope Barbara hasn't," Ian added.  
Terna walked along silently, trailing her magnifying glass across every inch of space. "Everything is artificial," she mused. "There isn't a drop of organic matter in this entire place. Not a single thing to quell my nerves."

At that point, they reached the end of the hall and another closed door. Ian waved his hand across the sensory system, but the door didn't budge. He tried again and then a third time. "It's locked," he said to the others.  
"But that's the only way further in," Susan observed.

"Perhaps we should go back then?" Ian offered. "I think it was a mistake to split up and leave Barbara alone like this. Let's go back to where we left her and wait for her there."  
The others agreed, and they all made their way back down the corridor out into the main square where they had first branched off. It had been a good ten minutes since then, but Barbara was nowhere to be seen.

"Barbara?" Ian called; he quickly opened the door Barbara had first went through. "Barbara?" he called into it. No response.

"Figures, she got lost," Terna mused grimly.

"Oh, this is all my fault," Ian cried. "I was the one who suggested we split up."

"Don't go beating yourself up about it," Terna asserted. "She didn't exactly object to the idea."

"Terna, hush," the Doctor suddenly ordered.

"I wasn't talking to you-" Terna snapped back.

"I said shut up and listen," the Doctor cut her off. There was a brief pause, and the silence it gave made apparent what sounded like a faint, rhythmic clicking wafting from within the hall that Barbara had vanished into.

"I can hear a ticking noise," Susan exclaimed.

"Is it a clock?" Terna wondered aloud.

"Quiet and listen," the Doctor ordered them both as the group began to move towards the direction of the noise.  
They stealthily follow it down the winding hall, identical to the first. The ticking got louder the further they went, which only saw to increase their curiosity. They all froze suddenly after going a few dozen paces.

"It stopped," Susan exclaimed.

"Wait. There it is again," Terna stated as the noise began again.

"It's coming from in here," Ian cried, gesturing to a door in the wall a short ways done the corridor. The door opened manually unlike the others, and Ian quickly thrust it open.  
The room beyond was dimly lit, but the faint outlines of long tables laden with an assortment of unusual objects, mechanical in origin, as well as various machines standing still and silent in the corner gave the illusion of some kind of workshop.

"Well, this looks promising," Ian exclaimed. "There's bound to be some mercury in here." With that, he began rooting through some nearby boxes.  
The Doctor, meanwhile, continued to follow the ticking sound until he came across what looked like the hybrid child of a fax machine and a typewriter.

"Ah, here it is!" he announced.

"What's that thing?" Terna demanded.

"You really are technologically challenged, aren't you?" the Doctor asked smugly. "It's a measuring device," he continued as Terna's fixed him with a furious glare. "The question is: what's it measuring?"

"Any idea?" Ian came up behind them.

"Not particularly," the Doctor replied. "These readings are hard to decipher."

Ian glanced around the dark shop. "I wonder what sort of people these are," he mused.

"Were, they can't be alive anymore," Terna reminded him.

"Whoever they are…where, they were most likely incredibly intelligent," the Doctor stated.

"Yes, but how did they use their intelligence?" Ian wondered. "What form did it take?"

"Oh, that doesn't matter," the Doctor waved the question aside.

"Grandfather, come look at this," Susan, who had wandered to the back of the room, called. She was standing next to a large computer with a frantic needle moving back and forth across the top end of a spectrum grid. "It's a Geiger counter."

"What's that do?" Terna inquired.

"It measures radiation levels," the Doctor explained.

"Wait. Look where it is!" Ian cried, pointing to the needle on the machine. "Well into the red danger zone."

Susan's eyes widened. "But that would mean this entire area is toxic!"

Terna felt the color drain from her face.

"That would explain a lot of things, wouldn't it?" the Doctor calmly mused. "The entire forest turning to stone, Barbara's headache, the dizziness and fatigue we've been feeling."

"Hold on," Terna whirled on the Doctor. "Are you saying you had the full intention of exploring the city when you knew full well that this entire planet was contaminated with radiation?"

"Of course not," the Doctor asserted. "I'm not a fool as to risk my own life for scientific research."

"Could have fooled me," Ian grumbled.

"I had no idea that the radiation was at this level," the Doctor ignored him.

"How could you not?" Terna cried. "The TARDIS has a radiation measuring device on the computer. Why didn't you check it?"

"I did. I checked it when we landed," The Doctor shot back.

"Back when we landed? The computer hadn't been exposed to the radiation long enough to get a proper reading, you moron. You should know that!" Terna cried, her voice growing shrill.

"It's not as if you've been much help in figuring this out," the Doctor snapped. "You sensed something wrong in the air, but your spiritual nonsense couldn't tell that it was radiation, now could it? Where's the machines when you need them, eh, Terna?"

"Would you two shut up?!" Ian cried. He turned to the Doctor. "So, we've got radiation sickness?" he asked, fighting to keep his voice calm.

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, the atmosphere of this world is contaminated, and we've been walking around in it completely unprotected."

"But the buildings are all intact," Ian exclaimed.

"A neutron bomb then," the Doctor murmured, "A specific kind of chemical weapon that produces mass destruction to all living tissues, leaving what's artificial intact."

"That would explain this city," Terna whispered.

"But how bad has the radiation affected us?" Ian demanded. "What are we going to do?"

"We need drugs," the Doctor replied.

"Where are we going to get those?" Terna asked.

"The TARDIS will have to take us to another time and place so we can be treated," Susan explained grimly.

"But don't you remember?" Ian was trying, and failing, to remain calm. "We can't move the TARDIS without the fluid link."

"Ah yes, the fluid link," the Doctor murmured, dropping his eyes. "I'm afraid I may have cheated you on that."  
Ian whipped his way, eyes wide. "I was determined to see the city, but everyone but Terna wanted to leave," he quickly explained. "In short, there's nothing wrong with the fluid link." He passed it to Ian so he could see it properly.  
He stared at it; his mouth open in shock.

"What?" Susan was aghast. "Grandfather, are you saying that you risked leaving the safety of the TARDIS just to see this place?"

"You fool. You old fool!" Ian cried.

"Like I said; you've got no sense," Terna added.

"Don't you go accusing me too, Terna," the Doctor snapped at her. "I knew you wanted to see the city as bad as I did. You should be grateful."

"Grateful!" Terna cried. "I didn't know that coming to this place was going to cause me to shrivel up and die. I just go this body, Time Lord; I have no intention of losing it so quickly."

"Alright fine," the Doctor put his foot down. "There's no point in arguing. We need to return to the ship immediately before we get any worse."

"No. We're not leaving without Barbara," Ian replied sharply.

"Fine. You can stay here and search for her. Susan, Terna, and I will go back to the ship," the Doctor replied.

"I doubt you'll get far without this," Ian replied, holding the fluid link that he still had clasped tightly in his hand.

The Doctor's mouth parted slightly in surprise. "Give that to me," he insisted.

"No."

"Give it to me!" the Doctor snarled.

"No. Listen to me, Doctor; it's time you faced up to your responsibilities. You got us here so you're taking us back," Ian stated coldly.

The Doctor was about to respond, but he suddenly went very pale and stumbled backward, handing grasping at his brow.  
"Grandfather!" Susan cried, all anger at him diminishing as she rushed to help him stay upright.

"Very well, let's just find Barbara quickly," the Doctor cried breathlessly.

"Serves you right," Terna grumbled, following behind Ian and Susan as they helped the Doctor back into the hall.

"We don't have much time though," the Doctor continued once he had gotten his wind back and was able to lean against the wall for support.

"How are we going to find Barbara in this huge place?" Susan cried.

Terna glanced around, turning her thoughts over in her mind. "Alright, I've got an idea," she announced. "I'll stay here and look for Barbara while the rest of you head back to the TARDIS."

"But what about you and Barbara?" Ian demanded.

"I'll be fine; I'm less affected by the radiation then the rest of you," Terna insisted. "Also, I'll be able to find her and get us both back to the ship much faster than any of you by detecting Barbara's Force Amina amongst all this emptiness."

"Alright. You better not be too long though," the Doctor grumbled, shoving off the wall. "Otherwise, we're leaving without you."

"Be careful," Susan added.

Terna nodded. The other three then turned and headed off down the hall towards the direction of the exit.

Terna felt their presence slip away almost immediately and then the emptiness pressing in on her from all sides. Without the Force Amina beating within their bodies to soothe her, she was now left amongst the void.

She shivered, feeling like pins and needles were going up and down her bare arms as she turned and sprinted the other way down the hall.

She moved at a rapid pace, scanning her mental processes for any spark of life that would indicate Barbara was nearby.  
At one point, when she was about to turn a corner, Terna froze. She scanned her immediate surroundings; nothing seemed to have apparently changed.

The halls were still as bare and blank as before. However, she felt an unnerving sensation in her veins that told her she was being watched.  
Taking a deep breath, Terna fought to center herself.

Closing her eyes, she unfolded her influence out from within her skin like a flower slowly opening its petals. As she spread her psychic fingers wider, hunting desperately for signs of Force Anima, she suddenly heard a loud banging.  
The noise shattered straight through the silence and the emptiness.

Terna squeezed her eyes shut, trying to piece back together her broken concentration. No such luck, the banging continued, relentless and erratic. What was the source of that noise?

Then she heard it: "Is anyone there?" Barbara's voice, weak and faint but still recognizable. Terna's eyes snapped open.

Scanning the hall, she quickly zeroed in on the source of the noise. A short ways from her there was another closed door, and the sound of frantic pounding and Barbara's cries could be heard from behind the thick metal.

"Barbara?" Terna called, rushing up to the wall and placing her hands upon it. She could feel the faint hum of electronic light, and it mixed with the crackling, lightning-like sensation of pulsing human thought and feeling.

There was a pause and then: "Terna? Is that you?" Barbara asked quietly.

"Yeah, it's me. Ian sent me to find you," Terna quickly explained. "There's too much to explain and not enough time, but we need to get out of here and find the others right away."

At this, Terna searched around for a sensory system, but there seemed to be none anywhere around the door frame. "How do you open this thing?"  
"I don't know," Barbara cried. "The door shut and locked behind me, and I've been trapped here ever since."

"Luckily that hasn't been long," Terna reassured, "But have you been banging and hollering like that this whole time?"

"Yes," Barbara replied.

"Well, that doesn't matter now," Terna brushed the conversation aside as she began running her fingers across the smooth, sturdy surface of the door, pressing lightly against it. The door seemed to be a good three to four inches thick, and the slight pressure she applied did little more than assert this factor more clearly.

"Can't you get it open?" Barbara cried.

"No, there's no sensory motor on this side either," Terna replied through gritted teeth. "Then how are you supposed to open it?"

She pressed her palm against the door and spread her fingers open in a fan, attempting to thread her Anima into the material, but it did even less than when she'd tried to erode the stone walls of the Cave of Skulls. Terna cursed quietly, but got no response from Barbara.

"Barbara?" she called.

"Terna, hush," Barba hissed, a frantic edge to her voice.

"What is it?" Terna whispered.

"I hear something coming," Barbara cried. "There's something sliding along the floor. Oh, please hurry up and get it open."

Terna heard it now too: a faint, muffled scuffing noise of something very heavy moving across the smooth floors at a rapid pace.

"Terna open the door," Barbara wailed.

"I'm trying," Terna threw her weight against the door again and again, flooding her Psychic Anima into it but to no avail.  
She swore in desperation, her hand suddenly grasping the handle of her magnifying glass sticking out of her dress pocket.

"Terna, they're coming closer!" Barbara cried. "I can hear them through the other door. Terna!"

With clenched teeth, Terna suddenly raised her glass up and brought it down against the door. There was a flash of pale yellow light and the sharp crack of splintering metal as a beam of light encircled the head of the glass and cut the door neatly in half.  
Barbara was on the other side as the two halves of the door fell away; her mouth open in shock. Terna's expression looked similar as she stared down at the glass; the beam of light had vanished, but a faint yellow aura still lingered around the object.

"How did you do that?" Barbara asked.

"I don't know-" Terna stopped as the sound of weighted friction against the ground, much closer than before.  
Barbara spun around and froze as the doors that led out of the opposite end of the room suddenly slid open and monstrous shapes filled the space it left behind.

Barbara gasped in a strangled cry of shock, staggering back over the threshold into the hall. Terna stood, mouth and eyes wide in terror as the creatures slid fully into view. She felt them more than she saw them and what Terna felt was enough to make her heart change places with her stomach.

Then her adrenaline exploded within her, and the single action of escape blared in the foreground of her mind.  
"Run!" she screamed, snatching Barbara's hand, and they took off down the hall.

Frantic, the two women sprinted at as fast a pace as they could, the white walls winding around them on all sides. Terna didn't dare glance back to see if they were being pursued, but she momentarily felt a kind of heat at her ankles.

Not caring what it was, they kept going until a door slid away before them and shut again just as they crossed the threshold, blocking them from the creatures.  
But neither Terna nor Barbara slowed.  
They kept on running along until they reached the bend of a sharp corner. At this, both skittered slightly and nearly lost their balance, staggering headlong into the Doctor, Ian, and Susan who seemed to have sprouted out of nowhere like a patch of clover.

"Barbara!" Ian cried with relief as she collapsed into his arms, but his face soon diminished back to grave concern when he saw the state she was in. "What's happened?" he cried. Barbara didn't respond; her lips were very white.

"Time Lord, we have to get out of here; we have to get out here now," Terna, who had crashed into the Doctor and almost knocked him to the ground, cried frantically.

"Terna, if this is another spider, I swear to God-," the Doctor began, grabbing her wrists to contain her, but Terna cut him off.

"No, it's not. This is something far worse. Something entirely blasphemous and impossible."

"What?" the Doctor demanded. He got his answer. The doors behind them slid open. Terna whirled around, feeling the sound of her icy blood pounding in her temple; it mixed with the ringing cry of the creatures as they barreled forward:

"Exterminate! Exterminate!"

* * *

A/N: Three guesses what those are!

*Translation:  
_Sanctum inferno! _: Holy hell!  
_Propter Duem_: For God's sake  
_Suum cique_: To each his own


	8. The Mutants- The Survivors

Chapter 8: The Mutants- The Survivors

* * *

Terna felt like her insides had turned to ice.  
Her frigid blood pounded thickly in her skull, and her breath caught in her throat as she watched the creatures that had pursued her and Barbara through the empty halls slide further into view.

They were huge, bulky, and built like a tank with sleek, polished metal bodies. The tops of their heads came together in a dome with a pair of glass cylinders sticking out of the top like horns. The most alarming features on their bodies, however, were small whisk-shaped guns sticking out of the creatures' side and a large, plunger-like nozzle protruding from the center of the 'face'.

"What are those things?" Barbara cried.  
"Intruders. You. Must. Be. Detained!" one of the creatures cried in a strained, metallic voice. The glass horns on its head lit up when it spoke like a pair of light bulbs.

Terna felt the Doctor's grip on her wrist tighten, and it snapped her back into clarity; everything around her was sharp with adrenaline, and she could feel tremors running up and down her limbs.  
Her breath hitched in her throat as she watched the creatures draw steadily closer, guns poised. They were wrong.

Everything about them was entirely wrong. She felt it. She felt the emptiness inside the machines. Not a speck of Light, not a shard of Anima. They were entirely empty.  
The Howling incarnate.  
They were monstrous, unnatural, and worst of all: familiar. Terna felt like something was squirming in the back of her mind; something pounding against her skull. _Remember_ it was screaming. _Remember these creatures!_

"You. Are. Surrounded."  
More of the creatures came up behind the group of travelers as they stood huddled together in the middle of the hall. "There. Is. No. Chance. Of. Escape. Come. Quietly. Or. You. Will. Be. Exterminated!"  
Terna couldn't breathe. She felt the Doctor's hand on her own.

"Terna…" he started, but Terna didn't listen to him.

_Their bodies are huge and with limited mobility. If I'm fast, I might be able to…_It didn't matter. Even if she couldn't escape…No, she needed to. She needed to get away. Terna's adrenaline-coated muscles snapped into action, and she broke into a mad dash towards a gap in the creatures as they closed in all around them.

"Terna!" Ian cried. There was a flash and a sound like a whip cracking. Terna was struck from behind by some unseen force. Her coursing body stopped short, and she fell to the ground. Everything went black.

()()()

Emptiness.

Terna was standing in the middle of some kind of emptiness. There was white on all sides of her. She turned around once where she stood, but saw nothing but void.

There was nothing she could see.

But then she heard it: a voice calling her name. Her True Name, not the name Susan gave her.

"Who's there?" Terna cried. "What do you want?" The voice paused and, for a frightening moment, Terna thought it had left her alone in the emptiness.

Then it spoke again: _A hole, there is a hole in your head. You must fill it._

"A hole?" Terna was baffled. "Fill it? Fill it with what?"

_Recover what was lost to you. Remember what was taken, remember what was lost. Remember who you are, Soul Queen of the Lyall. Remember and fear; fear what you know, fear what you are about to discover._

"Fear? Fear what? You're not making any sense!" Terna cried skyward, but all she got in return was:

_Remember. Remember. Remember…_

()()()

Terna awoke with a start.  
"_In virtute Dei, quod factum est inferni?!_*" The Lyall babbled in her own tongue, sitting bolt upright and startling Susan, who seemed to have been sitting beside her.

"Terna," the young Time Lady cried, stumbling back over to her. "You're awake."

"Evidently," the Doctor, who was sitting on the other side of Susan called. "You gave quite a shout."

Terna glanced around. The group was holed up in a stark white cell that had no windows and a door that became a wall when it was shut, as it was now.  
The horrible creatures were nowhere in sight. "What happened?" she breathed.

"We were taken here by those things," Barbara explained. Terna turned to see that she and Ian were sitting on a simple bench protruding from the wall.  
Ian was slumped in a lazy kind of fashion, but he looked more dejected than tired.

"What happened to you?" Terna demanded.

"When you went down, Ian tried to run after you," Susan explained. "But those creatures got him in the legs. He lost all feeling in them."

"You're paralyzed?" Terna was aghast.

"Only temporarily," Ian replied simply. "I'll be alright in a few minutes."

Terna glanced down at herself. "I got hit with the same gun, but I feel fine," she mused. "I guess my Anima protected me. Didn't do much good though, since I blacked out."

"You're lucky you weren't killed," the Doctor snapped irritably. "Why did you run?"

Terna folded up on herself, shrinking back from the Doctor's accusing glare.  
"I panicked. Sue me," she snapped defensively.

"Panicking never gets you anywhere," the Doctor declared, "and it certainly won't get you away from those things, whatever they are."

"Dalek," Terna spoke without thinking.  
Everyone whipped her way, eyes wide in surprise. "They're called Daleks," Terna repeated.

"How-How do you know that?" Ian asked.

"I…" Terna paused, suddenly remembering the bizarre dream she'd had while unconscious. "A hole in my head, now it makes sense," she breathed.

"If you knew about these things, then why didn't you tell us about it sooner?" the Doctor demanded.

"I'd forgotten," Terna replied. "And I didn't know I'd forgotten because I didn't remembering even thinking about it in the first place!" She sat up even though it made her head spin. "I must have amnesia," she whispered. "When I crashed into the TARDIS, I must have lost some of my memories."

"That's irrelevant," the Doctor snapped.

"It's entirely relevant," Terna asserted. "If I knew about these things, then maybe I knew some way to defeat them…" Her voice trailed off, eyes suddenly going oddly distant.

"Terna, what's wrong?" Susan inquired.

Terna didn't answer immediately. She got to her feet and slowly walked up to the wall that contained the disappearing door. "It makes sense," she whispered. "A planet entirely devoid of Anima with creatures that can exist without their central living force; my people must have learned of this place and launched an attack with plans to destroy it."

"Well, they failed, obviously," the Doctor grumbled.

Terna paused, her insides twisting. "Yes, they did…and we never fail. How could we have lost? What happened to my people after we did? I…I remember running….Was that when we ran?" The hand pressed to the wall slowly curled into a fist.  
"Fear what I know, and fear what I will soon learn," she echoed the words in her dream. "I'm beginning to question everything, everything I thought I knew."

"Well, we'll worry about your identity crisis later," the Doctor announced, leaning back against the wall; his face flushed. "At the moment, we need to find a way out of here. We don't have much time."

Terna's eyes widened. That's right; she'd completely forgotten. They were still being exposed to the planet's radiation.  
They'd soon die from toxins if they didn't get back to the TARDIS. The pale, petrified look on Barbara's face told her that the others had taken the liberty to inform her of their dire situation while Terna was still unconscious.

"What are we going to do?" Barbara cried.

"Unless we get anti-radiation treatment, all we can do is die," the Doctor whispered. He looked like he wanted to say something more, but his voice left him, and he gritted his teeth in apparent pain, sweat trickling thickly down the sides of his face.\

"This is all your fault," Terna grumbled, slumping down beside the Doctor and drawing her knees into her chest. "I'd smack you if you weren't already in so much pain."  
She crossed her arms and rested them on her knees, burying her face in the folds of her dress; she fought to keep her breathing even.

"It'll be alright, Terna," Susan reassured her.

"How will it be alright?" Terna demanded. "How will anything be alright ever again?"  
She felt a small hand on her shoulder. Glancing up, Terna saw that Susan had her hand clasped firmly on her arm. Her expression was one of fear but also of resolve.  
Terna felt her knotted stomach loosen slightly. The two women looked at each other, but neither said anything.

There was a pregnant silence that was suddenly shattered by the droning hum of the door sliding open, and a lone Dalek entered the room.  
"I. Will. Bring. One. Of. You. For. Questioning." He declared, sweeping his nozzle around the room. It came to rest on the Doctor. "You. Get. Up. And. Follow. Me."

"Grandfather!" Susan cried, starting forward, but Barbara held her back as the Dalek urged the poor man to his feet.  
The Doctor staggered, looking dazed and nauseous. Terna felt a sudden surge of pity, which confused her.

"Follow. Me," the Dalek barked, prodding the Doctor with its nozzle, and he stumbled forward, hugging the wall for support.

"Where are you taking him?" Susan cried, struggling against Barbara's grip.

"To. Be. Questioned," the Dalek repeated simply.

_Questioned?_ In a surge of bravery mixed with desperation, Terna suddenly scrambled to her feet and got between the Dalek and the Doctor as he was about to lead him out the door.  
"You're not taking him anywhere," she declared firmly, her face a mere inch from the Dalek's nozzle.

"Terna, what are you doing?" Ian cried, looking as though he wanted to get up but was still unable to.

"This. Is. An. Act. Of. Defiance," the Dalek declared. "Move. Or. I. Will. Exterminate. You."

"No you won't," Terna replied coldly. "You want to learn about us. You're baffled as to who we are or where we came from. If you killed us, that information would be lost."

"We. Only. Need. One. Of. You. To. Question," the Dalek asserted.

"Oh really? And you want to interrogate _him_?" Terna spat, gesturing to the Doctor, who was slumped against the wall watching her with an expression of confusion and even slight admiration. "I take it you can't see very well through that eye stock of yours, or you would notice that he is very ill and will most likely keel over and die at any moment. Wouldn't it be prudent to have a backup interviewee in case that happens? I'm mostly unaffected by the radiation sickness at the moment. There's no better candidate."

The Dalek paused, seeming to consider this; Terna couldn't really tell as its mechanical form hid all expression.  
"Help. Him," it finally said, nudging Terna towards the Doctor with its nozzle.  
Terna fought to contain a triumphant smile as she solemnly held out her arm to the Doctor and allowed him to lean heavily against her; his own arm draped loosely around her waist for support.

"At times, you are surprisingly brilliant," she heard him whisper. Terna could do little to contain a smug smile at this.  
"I'm a Queen; I have to be smooth talker," she declared simply.

"But…Why did you do it?" the Doctor demanded weakly.

"From my experience, Time Lord, I have learned that, when it comes to interrogations, the questioned can learn just as much as the questioner."

The Dalek led Terna and the Doctor down a series of more white halls.  
Terna tried to mentally map them out in the hopes of crafting an escape route, but this soon proved fruitless; the halls snaked on forever, and all of them looked exactly the same.

Feeling hopeless, both the Lyall and Time Lord were ushered by the Dalek through a large set of double doors. Beyond them was a high-ceilinged, round room that was white like the halls and contained nothing but a massive computer stacked against the back wall.

Hundreds of knobs and buttons lined the many circuit boards as well as screens displaying various points in the city.

The Dalek shoved the Doctor and Terna forward, and they stumbled into the pale beam of a spotlight creating a pool of light in the middle of the room.  
"Do. Not. Move. Out. Of. The. Light," the Dalek instructed as two more Daleks turned away from the computers and joined the first.

"Kneel," one of the other two Daleks commanded. Terna and the Doctor obliged. "Are. You. Of. The. Thal. People?" it demanded.

Something sparked in the back of Terna's mind. "Thal…?"

"I don't understand you," the Doctor said weakly.

"Why. Are. You. Suffering. From. Radiation. Poisoning?"

"Because we were not aware of it until it was too late, that's why," the Doctor quickly replied before slumping forward so that he almost fell completely over on his face.

Terna attempted to prop him up. "Do. Not. Touch. Him," another Dalek snapped, and Terna quickly drew her hands away, holding them up in submission.

"That. Cannot. Be. True," the Interrogator Dalek said of the Doctor's explanation. "We. Have. Known. That. The. Thals. Have. Existed. Outside. Our. City. Your. Supply. Of. Anti-Radiation. Drugs. Must. Have. Failed. And. You. Came. Into. The. City. To. Find. More."

_So, there's more than one race on this world_? Terna inwardly mused. _The Thals, another familiar name, and it would seem they are at odds with the Daleks. That could be useful. _

"You are wrong," the Doctor cried. "We aren't 'Sals' or whatever you called them."

"You. And. Your. Companions. Need. The. Drugs. Or. You. Will. Die," the Interrogator Dalek declared.

"We have no drugs," the Doctor cried. "Drugs…wait. The box left outside the TARDIS," Terna heard him whisper. He suddenly grabbed her hand. "The box outside the TARDIS; Terna, those must have been anti-radiation drugs!"

"TAARDIIS?" the Guard Dalek struggled on the word. "He. Is. Delirious."

"No, he's not," Terna asserted.

"You." the Interrogator Dalek pointed its nozzle at Terna. "Tell. Me. What. He. Is. Saying."

Terna hesitated.  
"Tell them, Terna," the Doctor whispered weakly.

"We found a box of drugs out near our…encampment," Terna explained. "It may be the drugs you're referring to. Have one of us go with you to it, and we'll bring them here."

"We. Cannot. Move. Outside. The. City," the Interrogator Dalek asserted.

"Very well then," Terna's voice strained. "Have one of us go and hold the others until he returns."

"As. Long. As. Said. Person. Knows. They. Are. Responsible. For. The. Other's. Fates," the Interrogator Dalek announced.

Terna smiled bitterly. "They will have our lives in their hands,"

"Then. We. Are. Agreed," the Guard Dalek declared. At that moment, the Doctor collapsed fully onto his stomach, seemingly out cold.  
"Time Lord!" Terna cried in shock, kneeling beside him.

"Leave. Him," the Dalek ordered.

Terna whirled around. "Tell me about these people, the Thals," she asked bravely.

"Over. Five. Hundred. Years. Ago. There. Were. Two. Races. On. This. Planet. We. The. Daleks. And. The. Thals. After. The. Neutronic. War. Our. Forefathers. Retired. Into. The. City. Where. We. Are. Protected," the Interrogator Dalek explained.

"And the Thals?" Terna inquired.

"Most. Perished. In. The. War," the Dalek replied. "But. We. Know. There. Are. Survivors. They. Must. Be. Disgustingly. Mutated. But. The. Fact. That. They. Survived. Means. They. Must. Have. A. Drug. That. Preserves. Them."

Terna pursed her lips. "So, despite the fact that those things exist in the forest, you are willing to send one of us out there after the drugs?" she whispered bitterly.

"As. You. Said. It. Is. Your. Only. Chance. For. Survival," the Dalek replied.

()()()

Susan and Barbara were walking circles with Ian around the cell when Terna and the Doctor were thrust rather unceremoniously into the middle of the room by the Guard Dalek accompanying them.

"Grandfather!" Susan left Ian, who was still struggling to stand on his own, and rushed to the Doctor's side.  
She quickly helped him over to the bench, and Barbara sat Ian down beside him while the door slid firmly shut behind them.

The Doctor looked terrible: his face pale as death and slick with sweat.  
"He is getting steadily worse" Ian mused. "Are you alright, Terna?" he inquired of her.

"Oddly fine," Terna replied with a shrug.

"What happened?" Barbara asked her.

"Do you remember the box that we found outside the TARDIS?" she replied. The other three nodded.

"The vials inside might have been anti-radiation gloves-drugs-but I can't be certain," the Doctor stumbled over simply speaking; he was so weak. "However, we need to get a hold of them. They are our only hope."

"None of us are in very good shape though," Ian observed.

"I could go," Barbara offered.

"No, I will," Ian asserted.

"But you can't walk," she protested.

"Oh, I'll be fine in a couple of hours," Ian replied.

"We don't have hours," Terna asserted. "We need to get those drugs as soon as possible. So, I'll go," she announced.

"Terna, it should be me," Ian insisted.

"No, I'm the least affected by the drugs out of all of you," Terna replied. "I'm the only one that can do it. Trust me."

As she spoke, Terna slid her hands into the pocket of her dress. Her fingers grasped nothing.  
"My magnifying glass…Where is it?" Terna cried.

"They searched our pockets when they first threw us in here," Ian explained grimly.

Terna scowled. "Damn, and I was hoping to cut the Daleks down, so then we could_ all_ get away."

Ian gave her a queer look. "With a magnifying glass?"

"Yeah, I cut the door Barbara was trapped behind earlier with it because I pumped it full of…Anima." Terna's voice trailed off as it dawned on her. She raised her hands in front of her face and vaguely glimpsed a flash of blue light and color moving throughout her fingertips. "That's why…" she breathed.

"Terna, what is it?" Barbara asked.

"I think my Psychic Anima is protecting me from the radiation, making its progression much slower for me."

"Will it be able to hold you off against the Thals?" the Doctor asked weakly, leaning further back against the bench, his skin yellowish and waxy in the bright light.

"Thals?" Ian asked.

"Yes, they're another race that lives in the woods…mutations," the Doctor explained breathlessly. "I was right about the neutron bomb. The Daleks and the Thals went to war, and both were destroyed upon the bomb's detonation, but a few survived, and the Thals became horribly changed by the exposure to radiation while the Daleks built this city to protect themselves from it."

Terna gave the Doctor a confused look. "I thought you were unconscious when the Daleks explained that."

"I was…mostly," the Doctor replied simply.

Terna shrugged. "Anyway, we hypothesized that the Thals were the ones that left us the drugs in the woods."

"But how did the Thals survive out there?" Ian asked the Doctor. The Doctor opened his mouth to respond, but all that came out was a strangled choking sound. "Doctor?" Ian cried as the Doctor's eyes rolled back in his head and consciousness slipped from him.

"Grandfather!" Susan pressed her hands to his face. "He's burning hot."

"I need to get these drugs quickly," Terna stated, "and I'll ask for water when they come for me. In the meantime, we need to keep him as cool as possible."

Susan nodded, already fumbling with the Doctor's cravat.

"Terna…" the Doctor mumbled weakly, "Terna."

"He's saying your name," Susan called to her.

"He's delirious," Terna replied dismissively.

"Terna," the Doctor repeated, reaching out and taking her hand.

Perplexed, Terna leaned in closer so that her face was but a few inches from the Doctor's. "What is it?" she asked.

"Do you think…that Anima of yours…would be able to still the effects…of the radiation poisoning…for us as well?" the Doctor whispered, his voice uneven.

Terna stared at him, eyes wide. "I…I don't know. It's possible."

"Would you try it?" Susan asked.

"I guess," Terna flexed her fingers thoughtfully; a plume of blue light blossomed on the tips. Slowly, she leaned forward and raised her hands to the Doctor's flushed face. "This might tickle," she explained grimly before pressing her cold palms to his forehead.  
The Doctor sucked in a sharp breath at the feeling of her frigid flesh against his own scalding skin.  
Terna closed her eyes and concentrated, feeling the energy flow out through her fingers and seep into the Doctor's body. She could feel the rotting poison eating away at his insides being distilled.

"There. That ought to do it," Terna announced after a moment, redrawing her hands. The Doctor's eyes remained closed; however, he was only sleeping now.

"Terna, do Barbara too. She looks terrible," Ian called. Barbara's skin was chalk-white, and her eyelids fluttered lazily as she fought to keep them open.  
Terna repeated the same process on her and then on Ian and Susan for good measure. It seemed to rejuvenate them slightly, and the mood in the room brightened somewhat.

"Terna, you do realize you can't leave now," Ian declared grimly.  
"What do you mean?" the Lyall cried.

"That thing you just did won't last forever. You have to stay here and repeat the process. It'll buy me time while I go and get the drugs."  
"Ian, you can't go," Terna protested. "It'll be hours before you've got your full strength back."

"I've already got feeling in my toes. It'll only be a few minutes more," Ian insisted.

"Oh, but Ian, you can't go alone!" Susan suddenly cried as something seemed to dawn on her. "You won't be able to get into the TARDIS."

"Then give me the key," Ian replied simply.

"It's not that simple; the whole lock comes away from the door," Susan replied.

"Suppose the Daleks insist that only one of us goes," Ian stated. "You'll have to give me the key, and I'll just have to keep trying until I get it right."

"No, that won't work," Susan asserted. "It's a defense mechanism. There are twenty one holes in the lock, and only one is right. If you get it wrong, the whole lock will melt."

"Then I'll go," Terna chimed in. "I'm a part of the TARDIS. I might be able to get it open without the lock at all."

"We can't count on that," Susan insisted. "And besides Ian's right; you have to stay here and take care of my grandfather and Barbara."

"So, what? You're saying you'll go?" Terna cried.

"Ian and I will both go," Susan replied.

Before Ian could protest further, the door opened and a Dalek slid into the room. Terna couldn't tell if it was the same one from before; they all looked the same.  
"Which. One. Of. You. Is. Going?" it asked. "One. Of. You. Must. Leave. Now."

"Terna, please, let me go," Ian cried. "I've got feeling in my left leg. I'll just limp."

"You will move too slow. We have to get the drugs quickly," Terna asserted.

"Let me go with him," Susan cried.

"Only. One. Of. You. Can. Go," the Dalek replied, flicking its nozzle in Susan's direction. "You. Are. The. Youngest. And. The. Strongest. You. Will. Go."

Susan paled, and Terna doubted it was from radiation sickness. "Must I go alone?" she whispered.

"Ian, we can't let her go alone," Barbara whispered weakly.

"You. Must. Go. Now," the Dalek announced.

Susan clenched her small hands; they were shaking. Standing there in the middle of the empty cell, she looked so small.

"Susan, listen to me," Terna walked up to her. "Ian can't go with you; he'll move too slowly. An hour might make all the difference for the rest of us."

"I'm so afraid," Susan whispered.

"I know." Tentatively, Terna reached out and took Susan's hand, squeezing it firmly. _So am I_, she thought.

"Are. You. Ready?" the Dalek demanded.

"Yes, alright," Terna snapped back.

Slowly, Susan turned towards the Dalek and followed it out of the room. Terna kept her eyes on the back of Susan's head until the door had completely closed behind her.

Dejectedly, she moved to sit down beside Ian and Barbara.  
"Terna, the people in the forest…you said they were mutations," Barbara cried weakly.

"What else can we do?" Ian demanded before stopping to grip his obviously throbbing skull.

Terna turned from him as he began to smack his hand against his useless leg in a fit of frustration.

She glanced towards the Doctor and gently pressed her fingers to his hand. She could already begin to feel the heat of fever slowly creeping back into his skin.  
Ian was right; she would have to continuously repeat the process. Terna glanced towards the door. "Susan, hurry back," she breathed.

"Terna," the Doctor choked. She turned back to him, surprised.  
"Static Electricity," the Doctor whispered.

Terna blinked in surprise. "Static-what?"

"Static Electricity, it's what powers the Daleks," the Doctor explained; his voice was quiet, so Terna had to lean in close to her him properly. "When I pretended to collapse during the interrogation, I was trying to hear a humming sound better, and I discovered it came from the floor. The Daleks said they can't leave the city, and I think the reason why is because they are powered by the electromagnetic energy running through the floor."

"Like a giant magnet?" Terna asked.

"If you want to put it in primitive terms," the Doctor replied. "The point is that if we cut off the Daleks from the floor, they'll turn off, and then we'll be able to escape."

"And you're sure of this?" Terna demanded.

"No. I'm not, but it's the only theory I've got," the Doctor replied, slightly irritable.

"Fine, say it does work. How do you propose we cut them off from the floor?" Terna asked.

"I'll think of something," the Doctor replied.

"Brilliant, and how long do you think that's going to take before you pass out again?" The Doctor didn't reply as his eyes started to go glassy.

Terna bit her lip and pressed her fingers to his forehead, threading more Anima into his body. She then did the same to Ian and Barbara.  
_Let's hope this round lasts a little longer,_ Terna thought weakly. _I don't have a limitless supply, and since this planet is without Amina, I won't be able to draw anymore to me._

()()()

Hours passed, but to Terna it felt like days. She paced the room, feeling fatigue slowly creeping into her bones like thick liquid.

She glanced towards the other three, all dozing lightly on the bench. As she watched them, Terna's vision started to swim.  
"No," she shook her head, trying to clear it. "I can't give out now." But, even as she said it, Terna could feel her body quaking. She was exhausted; her Anima reserves were low, and she had no idea where Susan was or when she'd be back.

"Terna…" Ian weakly called to her. Terna made her way over to him, pausing to lean against the wall and take in a deep breath. She could feel a rejuvenating jittery-sensation, and it restored a little of her energy, even if the source of it was panic. "Terna, are you alright?" Ian demanded as she came over to him and gently pressed her fingers to his forehead, weaving Amina into his skin.  
A wave of dizziness came over her upon finishing, and she stumbled away from Ian, her gaze reeling.

At one point, her eyes fell on a spark of light, blinking weakly in the corner. Turning to face it fully, Terna felt her heart plummet into her stomach.  
A camera, there was a camera situated in the corner of the prison.  
The Daleks…They must have seen what she had been doing!

"Oh no," Terna breathed, staggering weakly over to the camera. She never made it there; the room turned a somersault, and Terna fell face first to the floor of the cell, collapsing into only semi-consciousness. Vaguely, she heard what sounded like Ian calling her name and then the hum of the door sliding open.

"Terna!" Susan was there, turning her over onto her back.

The Lyall's vision was foggy, but she could faintly make out a frayed image of Susan's pale, pixie-like face with eyes filled with worry.  
She was wrapped in a forest green cloak that was molded from some kind of leaf in a hexagonal pattern similar to a turtle shell.

"Susan, where did you get that cloak?" Terna asked, her voice slurred as though she were drunk.

"Terna, what's happened to you?" Susan cried.

"She's exhausted. She's been tending to us this entire time," Ian replied followed by the heavy sound of a Dalek approaching them.

"You. Have. The. Drugs. Now. You. Will. Be. Well," it announced before turning and exiting the room, there was the hum of the door slamming shut behind him.

"You got the drugs?" Ian asked Susan, his voice sounding overjoyed.

"Yes. Here. Give these to Barbara and my grandfather. I'll give these to Terna," Susan instructed.

"No, I'm fine," Terna asserted. "I'm just tired. You need it more than I do."

"I already took some," Susan replied. Before Terna could protest further, Susan had uncorked one of the glass vials and tipped the contents down Terna's throat.

The substance was bitter and tasted like soap; Terna gagged heavily, but she couldn't really complain.  
"Here. Drink this," the foul-tasting medicine was followed by the refreshing flavor of fresh water. "I convinced the Daleks to give us some water," Susan explained as Terna opened her eyes and sat up, leaning against the wall.

"Good work, Susan. Now, I'd recommend giving some of that water to your grandfather," she gestured over to the Doctor.

While Ian and Barbara were both better colored and seeming to have perked up, the Doctor was still gaunt and motionless, lying on his back across the bench as though a corpse in a coffin.  
"Why hasn't he woken up?" Susan cried, rushing to her grandfather's side and quickly tipping more water from a little dish in her hand down his throat. "Alydon said the drugs would work quickly."  
"Aly-who?" Terna demanded.

"Who are you taking about, Susan?" Barbara added.

"I met a Thal in the woods," Susan explained. "He was the one that gave us the drugs, and he gave me this cloak."

Terna arched an eyebrow. "You ran into one of those creatures? What did it look like?"

Susan dropped her eyes, a visible blush growing on her cheeks. "He was actually quite handsome."

"This Alydon of yours seems to have kept his wits about him," Ian mused. "After all, he gave us two supplies of drugs."

"Two supplies?" Terna asked.

"Yes, the Daleks took the other from us," Susan explained. "They're going to test them, trying to figure out their secret."

"We were lucky to keep the first," Ian added. "The Thals certainly seem more friendly."

"Yes, he even gave me this cloak to keep me warm," Susan agreed, fingering the strange garment she still had draped around her shoulders.

"Susan!" the Doctor suddenly cried.

"Grandfather!" Susan rushed to his side. The Doctor opened his eyes, and Susan quickly explained to him what had happened. "The drugs seem to be working," she added.

"Yes, I'll be alright," the Doctor agreed. "Then we can go back to the ship."

"But we're still prisoners, Grandfather," Susan reminded him.

"Oh. Are we?" the Doctor swallowed hard. "Then we must find a way to escape." He tried to sit up but fell back against the bench and collapsed into unconsciousness again.

"As soon as Grandfather's properly awake, we need to find a way to help the Thals," Susan exclaimed.

"Help them? Why?" Terna demanded.

"Alydon said his people are running out of food. They're going to starve to death if they can't find a new source soon," Susan explained.

"How can we help them? We can't even help ourselves," Barbara cried forlornly.

Susan sighed. "If only we could talk to the Daleks."

Terna glanced up at the camera hung up in the corner. "Susan," she hissed. The young girl whirled around. Silently, Terna beckoned her over. The young Time Lady quickly crossed the room over to where she was sitting and watched her with wide, confused eyes as Terna slowly leaned in to her and whispered in her ear.

"_Susan, potestis intelligere me_?" Terna spoke in her native tongue, asking the girl if she understood her. Susan pursed her lips and nodded stiffly.

_"Listen to me,"_ Terna continued in her own language. "_The Daleks have a camera monitoring us. It's been on the entire time we've been here, even when you left. Don't look!"_ Terna cried when Susan attempted to search for the camera. "_The thing is: they must have seen what I was doing while you were gone after the drugs, healing the others, and if they've figured out what I am; we'll have a big problem." _Susan's eyes widened. "_We need to get out of here. Now." _Terna concluded.

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Ian demanded. Terna and Susan turned towards him and Barbara.  
Silently, Terna pressed a firm finger to her lips and then pointed towards the camera in the corner. Ian and Barbara both quickly glanced at it; their eyes widening in shock and horror.

_"What do we do?"_ Barbara mouthed. Terna shook her head in dismay.

"We can't just abandon the Thals though," Susan continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "Alydon said that unless they make some kind of treaty with the Daleks, all of the Thals are going to die."

"Who says the Daleks are going to go for that?" Terna shot back.

"They will," Susan insisted. "The Daleks have food, and the Thals have anti-radiation drugs."

"Ah, I see, an even trade," Ian deduced.

"Yes, Alydon told me to send a message to the Thals if the Daleks agreed to a meeting."

Terna glanced towards the camera. "You got that in there?" she hollered. "The Thals wanna meet with you."  
Everyone paused, half-expecting something to happen. Nothing did.  
"They're probably going to try and sweat us out for a while," Terna grumbled. "Now, where's the water, I need some…Never mind."  
She had attempted to get to her feet but everything went numb upon her attempt to stand, and she slumped back against the wall.

"Terna, what's wrong," Susan cried. "I thought the drugs worked on you."  
"It's not the drugs I need, it's Anima," Terna whispered weakly. "I've exhausted my reserves, and there's none on this planet that I can pull from."  
She paused to laugh bitterly. "I hope I have enough to keep me tethered to this body. If that gives out I'm screwed."

Susan watched her, a look of distress on her face that was quickly swallowed by darkness as Terna collapsed into a heavy, dreamless sleep.

()()()

Terna awoke several hours later to find that the others had fallen asleep. What had awoken her was the sound of the doors sliding open. A lone Dalek entered the room, carrying a tray laden with food balanced on its nozzle.  
"We. Have. Brought. You. Food. And. More. Water," it announced. "Now. The. Girl. Is. To. Come. With. Me," it added.

"What for?" Ian demanded, jumping to his feet.

"It's alright, Ian," Susan insisted, starting towards the Dalek.

"We. Are. Going. To. Help. The. Thals. Which. Is. What. You. Want," the Dalek declared. "Now. Come. With. Me. So. We. Can. Write. A. Message. To. Them."

Wordlessly, Susan followed him out of the room.  
"I don't understand," the Doctor seemed to have recovered somewhat, and he sat up, watching Susan go. His face lined with worry. "Why have they taken Susan?"

"Alydon asked Susan to write the message," Ian explained.

"Who's Alydon?" the Doctor demanded.

While Ian and Barbara explained, Terna kept a firm eye on the camera in the corner._ I don't trust the Daleks, _she grumbled inwardly. _This helping the Thals charade is just to lure us into a false sense of security. These are creatures without souls; they are incapable of sympathy or empathy. We need to get out of here and warn the Thals if we can. This whole thing's going to violently explode in our faces if we're not careful. _

"Are you feeling any better, Terna?" Ian inquired, snapping her out of her reverie.

She checked herself. "Aside from the fact that my toes are numb, and my insides feel like jelly, I'm fantastic."  
Ian looked horrified. "I don't think I'll be able to stand," Terna added. "I'm using the last of my Anima to try and keep myself tethered to this form. I can't even afford to use any energy to walk."

"What happens if you lose your hold on your body?" the Doctor asked. Terna smiled without humor.

"My soul shall return to the Heart of the TARDIS, and I'll burn," she replied.

The Doctor pursed his lips. "If you can't walk, it'll complicate us trying to get out of here," he whispered.

"If you think you're leaving me behind, Time Lord; you've got another thing coming," Terna snapped, her eyes burning. "I'll _crawl_ out of here if I have to."

"Not so loud," the Doctor shot back, gesturing slightly to the camera.

"We need to get rid of that thing," Ian whispered to the others.

"How?" Barbara asked.

"I've got a plan," Ian announced. "As soon as Susan comes back, we'll spring into action."

Susan eventually returned and announced she had successfully delivered a message to the Thals through the Daleks. Terna filled her in on their plan through her own language. After which, everyone took their places.

"This whole thing is suspicious," Ian began. "Just because the Daleks haven't killed us, doesn't mean there's any reason to trust them."

"Or suspect them either," the Doctor asserted

"Maybe they just have a different way of doing things," Barbara offered.

"The Thals helped us; the Daleks put us in a cell. I know which of the two I prefer," Ian continued.

"The Daleks are a strong people; I think we ought to cooperate with them," the Doctor replied, getting to his feet.

"Ever since you've talked alone with the Daleks, you've been on their side. What did they do? Bribe you?" Ian demanded rushing up to the Doctor and getting in his face.

The Doctor averted his eyes. Ian grabbed the Doctor's shoulders and turned him towards him. "Look. I want to know why. Why are you on their side and against the rest of us?"

"Take your hands off me. How dare you, sir!" the Doctor thundered.

Leave my Grandfather alone!" Susan added as she leapt off the bench she'd been perched on and jumped onto Ian's back.  
Ian stumbled dramatically backward with Susan pounding on his head.  
He blindly ran into the wall, and Susan quickly yanked the camera off its perch.  
There was an electrical popping sound and then silence as the camera disconnected, falling from Susan's grasp and onto the floor with a clatter.

"Did I hurt you?" Ian asked as Susan slid off his back. She shook her head, grinning from ear to ear at their success.

"Well," Terna declared from her perch on the bench. "That was entertaining."

"That ought to fix the Daleks for a while," Ian added, picking up the camera and knocking it a few times against the wall until the screen shattered. "Now, how are we going to get out of here?" he added.

"Well, the Daleks are bound to come down here and investigate the broken camera," Susan deduced. "We should all pretend to be dead to catch them off guard, and then we'll force our way past them and run off down the corridor-"

"And then what?" Ian cut her off. "Even if we can outrun them, they'll zap us all into paralysis with those guns."

"Then we need to trick them somehow," Barbara declared.

"But how?" Ian demanded.

"Static electricity," Terna and the Doctor cried at the same time, causing everyone else to look at them in surprise.

"How did you two do that?" Ian asked.

Terna and the Doctor looked at each other.  
"You explain," Terna waved her hand dismissively.

So the Doctor relayed to Susan, Ian, and Barbara the deductions he had already explained to Terna: "I believe the Daleks have discovered how to harness electromagnetic energy as static electricity and magnetized the base of their machines, so that they draw power from the floors of the city. I heard a humming sound running throughout the floors, and there's an acrid smell when they move about."

"I noticed that too," Susan piped up.

"It smells like those machines at the fairgrounds," Barbara exclaimed.

"What? Like evil bumper cars?" Ian asked.

"What's a bumper car?" Terna asked.

"Irrelevant, Terna," the Doctor snapped at her. "Let's focus on the matter at hand. Assuming I'm right, we need to find a way to cut off the Daleks power by disconnecting them from the floor."

"We might want to get rid of their eyes too," Barbara added. "They can see all around them like a giant camera lens."

"Good point," the Doctor agreed. "Chesteron, would you mind concentrating for a moment, young man?" he called over to Ian, who was crouched down with his head resting on his chin, deep in thought.

"Susan? Where's that cloak you brought back with you?" he suddenly inquired.

]"Behind you," Susan replied.

Ian whipped around and snatched the Thal cloak from its heap on the ground and spread it out before him like a picnic blanket.  
"Say, Barbara, what do you suppose this is made of?"

"I don't know, some kind of cloth?" she offered.

"Good, then assuming the Doctor's right, this will make a perfect insulator," Ian declared.

They then began to formulate another plan.

()()()

A series of chills laced throughout Terna's body, she curled her legs under herself, trying to conserve as much energy as possible, but it was slipping away fast. She clutched at her bare arms as she trembled.  
"Are you alright, Terna?" the Doctor, who was sitting beside her, inquired.

"Do I look alright to you, Time Lord?" Terna snapped back, gripping her arms as the tremors rattled her insides. Her body was numb with cold, and she could feel her eyes struggling to stay open, her lids heavier than lead.

"Terna, you have to stay awake," the Doctor whispered, "It'll only be a little while longer, and then we'll return to the TARDIS, and you can gather your strength."  
Terna licked her dry lips and nodded slowly.

"Everyone, a Dalek's coming," Susan, who'd had her ear pressed to the door, whispered frantically.  
Everyone raced to their positions.  
Ian lay down at the foot of the door, just out of reach, with the broken camera clasped in one hand, planning to use the device to jam the door.  
Barbara had used dirt from Susan's shoes and some of their water to make mud to cover the lens and blind the Dalek.  
Susan leaned against the wall opposite the door, grasping the cloak tightly, attempting to hide her trembling hands.  
Terna slumped uselessly on the bench, only capable of watching as they all prepared to fight for their lives.

If they failed; they would certainly be killed.

Terna felt her icy blood pounding in her ears, and it mixed with the hum of the door slowly sliding open.  
The Dalek loomed into view: its bulky frame filling the entire doorway. "Take. The. Food," it ordered Susan, holding out another tray.  
Mutely, the young girl obliged.

The Dalek than turned and slid out of the door, however, the automated machine gave out a faint whine as it failed to shut all the way. The reason for this was soon apparent as Ian jumped away from the door, having successfully jammed the broken camera piece into the corner.

The door gave another frantic shriek before sliding back open. The Dalek slid over to investigate, straining its nozzle to try and make out the camera beneath its bulk.

"Now!" Barbara cried, rushing forward and jamming her handful of homemade mud into said nozzle. Ian and the Doctor grabbed the Dalek in any spot they could hold onto and dragged it completely into the cell.

"Keep. Away. Keep. Away!" the Dalek cried in its eerie monotone as it struggled weakly, swerving its blind eye scope back and forth.

The Doctor gave a shout as the scope knocked him in the chest and sent him flying into the opposite wall.  
Terna's heart stood still as she watched helplessly from spot on the bench. The Doctor got his second wind just as the Dalek whirled around to face Ian, who rammed at the thing at full force and knocking it askew once more.

"The gun; Chesterton the gun!" the Doctor cried frantically. Ian struggled to push the creature backward while Barbara and Susan spread out the blanket in its wake.  
The Dalek extended its plunger arm and almost suckered Ian to death before he and the Doctor finally managed to shove it fully onto the blanket. The Dalek froze, and there was a faint whirling sound as the large machine powered down.

"We did it!" Susan exclaimed, leaping for joy and rushing over to hug the Doctor while Barbara moved to help Ian back to his feet. Terna felt a wave of giddiness rush through her body, she laughed gleefully but it came out strained and anxious. Her chest felt tight and hurt under the pressure of her stalling lungs.

_Shit, this is bad_. She gritted her teeth. With great effort and feeling as though she was going to collapse again, Terna hoisted herself to her feet and staggered over to the others, who were all clustered around the deactivated machine.

"Take your hand off the gun," Ian whispered to the Doctor, who was applying pressure to said weapon to insure it didn't fire, just in case. Cautiously, the Doctor obliged. Everyone held their breath, but nothing happened.  
"It worked," Barbara cried.

"Alright, let's pop this thing open," Ian announced as he wrestled with the Dalek's lid.

"Think you'll be able to get that thing open?" Terna inquired with a weak smile. "I could always give you a hand. I have to do _something_," she added when Ian gave her a weary look.

"Alright, Doctor, Terna, give me a hand with this," Ian grunted as he strained against the cap of the machine. It took some effort on their part, and Terna couldn't be much help in her weakened state. Finally, the lid burst free.  
The sound that followed as soon as lid was free was horrific.

It was a screech of pure, unadulterated murderous rage that erupted out from the open machine.  
Ian quickly shut the lid back before anyone could look long enough to make out what was inside.

"Barbara, Susan, why don't you keep watch outside?" he whispered.  
It wasn't a request, and the two women knew it as they quickly headed out into the hall. "You too, Terna," he added.

"I'm staying right here," The Lyall asserted firmly.

"Alright, we need to get this thing out of the container," Ian stated. "I'm going to open the lid again," he added in order to give everyone a moment's warning.

Surprisingly, the creature did not cry out this time. This coaxed Terna into moving closer, leaning precariously forward so as to peer into the dark depths of the Dalek's open top. When she saw what was inside...

Terna felt her heart change places with her stomach, nausea coursed throughout her body, momentarily diminishing her fatigue.  
She gasped, clutching at her abdomen as she raced from the room, pushing past an equally horrified Ian and the Doctor.

Out in the hall, Terna collapsed to her knees and threw up. She choked and clutched at her heaving chest, feeling the cold sweat lacing her skin as she fought to regain control of her body.

"Terna…" The Lyall felt Susan's small hand gently rubbing her back.

"Wrong," Terna's voice was strained as she struggled for breath. "It's wrong, so wrong…"

"Here, let me help you," Susan offered.

"I-I'm fine," Terna stammered, stumbling to her feet. She sank back heavily and collapsed against the wall.

"Terna!" Susan and Barbara both rushed to her side, propping her up against them like some kind of dilapidated doll.

A moment later, Ian appeared in the doorway, looking very pale. "We removed the creature from the capsule and wrapped it in the cloak so none of us will have to look at it. It's safe now," he reassured them. Barbara nodded, her lips pursed.

"Can you walk, Terna?" Susan asked.

She nodded defiantly but stumbled heavily when she tried to take a step.  
Susan helped her up as she swayed where she stood, feeling dizzy and faint; her hollow stomach knocked against her ribs, matching the pace of her frantically beating heart.  
Terna clenched her fists as sweat began to pour down the sides of her face. She didn't know how much longer she could last.

"Alright, it's best not to hang around here," the Doctor announced, poking his head around the door frame. "We need to get a move on before someone comes looking for this Dalek," he gestured to the empty container.

"So, we go with the plan then?" Barbara confirmed. "One of us climbs inside that thing and pretends to be a Dalek and leads us out of the city?"

"Yes, I'll do it," Ian announced.

"No, I think Terna should be the one," the Doctor asserted. This statement temporarily jerked Terna back into clarity.

"What? Me? No. I'm not getting in that thing. No way!"

"Terna, be reasonable," the Doctor started, but she cut him off.

"No. No!" Terna's voice grew shrill as she stepped away from the Doctor and Ian. "I won't do it. I refuse."

"Terna, let's be practical here," the Doctor exclaimed, exasperated. "We need to get out of here as quickly as possible, and you can barely walk. I'm not going to carry you," he added.

Terna eyes were wide as she clenched her fists in an attempt to quell their shaking. To go inside the Dalek machine, to trap herself inside where that thing once sat, even if only for a few moments.  
She closed her eyes and shook her head vigorously, trying to clear it.

"We shouldn't force her," Ian stated.

"No. I-I'll do it," Terna fought to even her voice. She shoved herself forcefully off the wall and stumbled heavily, Ian and Susan rushed forward to catch her. "I'll just slow you down otherwise," she added breathlessly.

"Well, if you're sure," Ian murmured as she scooped her up and carried her bridal-style back into the cell.  
Terna made sure to heavily avert her eyes from the crumpled cloak bunched up in the corner, her stomach turning at the mere thought of what was underneath it. She drew in a sharp breath when her eyes fell on the empty tank in the middle of the room.

"You don't have to do this," Ian whispered to her. Terna was alarmed at the caring manner in his voice.

"Do not act as I'm completely helpless, human," she hissed sharply. "I'll be fine."

"Alright," Ian gently lifted Terna over the rim of the machine, inside was a mess of cables and wiring and, Terna almost laughed, what appeared to be a little pilot's chair nestled amongst all the strips of copper and metal workings.

What hit her next was the smell. Terna gasped and quickly clapped a hand to her mouth as more nausea bubbled up in her stomach.  
The smell, it was like week old eggs left out in the sun.

Choking through her fingers, Terna closed her eyes as Ian slowly lowered her inside the Dalek capsule. "This probably isn't a good time to mention I'm cluster-phobic, is it?" Terna asked dryly.  
Ian laughed nervously before closing the lid. The darkness of the small space closed in around Terna.

Slowly removing her hand from her face, Terna took a deep breath through her mouth, attempting to center herself. The confines were tight, and Terna bunched her body up as small as possible, attempting to make herself more comfortable.

"Terna?" a voice, thin and quiet from behind the walls of the Dalek machine, called out to her. The Lyall perked up, instantly recognizing Susan's voice. "Terna, can you hear me? Are you alright in there?"

"Alright? Of course I'm not alright," Terna snapped back "I can breathe in this thing, if that's what you mean," she added.

"What?" Susan called.

"Huh?" Terna replied.

"I can't hear you," Susan explained. "Is there a microphone or something that you can talk through?"

"Um." Terna glanced around. She couldn't see much of anything through the dark, let alone a microphone.

"Can you see out of that thing?" Barbara inquired.

Terna blinked. Could she? She looked around the small dark space, not a speck of light seemed to be filtering in from the outside. She placed her hands on the hard surface in front of her so as to prop herself up better. There was a flash as Terna's fingers pressed against a series of buttons. The console suddenly lit up all around her in a wide array of colors like a Christmas tree.

"Ah! What'd I do?" Terna cried, throwing her hands away from the sides of the container.  
"Terna, what is it?" Ian's voice called, sounding sharper and clearer than Barbara and Susan had. Terna glanced to her left to see a little intercom system mounted on the wall, a small light was flashing beside it to indicate it was on.

"Ian?" Terna asked.  
"Terna?" Ian's voice repeated, coming clear as day through the intercom.  
"I guess I rebooted the system. It must be activated by touch," Terna mused, glancing down at the console in front of her. Upon doing so, she saw a small microphone jutting out of the top. In front of that was a small circle mounted in the wall that glowed faintly with a green light. It was the same light that emanated from the Dalek's eye stocks. Terna leaned forward slightly and, if she squinted, she could just make out the white walls of the cell through the small, telescopic lens.

"Terna? Are you alright? What happened?" Ian called through the intercom. He suddenly appeared in front of her eye stock, tapping his finger against the lens.  
The blunt clicks echoed throughout the entire system.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine," Terna called through the microphone. "I just turned the thing back on by accident. Can you hear me now?"

Susan giggled. "You sound funny." She popped her head into view as well.

Terna's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"Your voice sounds all strained and metallic," Susan explained. "You know, like how the Daleks talk."

"Great," Terna grumbled miserably. She fiddled with a nozzle beside the microphone and found herself able to maneuver the eye stock from left to right. She swept the room once, catching glimpses of everyone as she passed.  
"I've got visual mobility now," she declared.

"You're going to have to talk more like them if you want to be convincing," the Doctor replied. "You can't emit any emotion."

"Um, okay," Terna leaned closer to the microphone. "Hello. I. Am. A. Dalek. You. Will. Be. Exterminated. There, how's that?" she inquired.

Over the sound of Susan and Barbara laughing, she heard the Doctor sigh. "Yes, that'll do."  
Terna snorted

"Well, we shouldn't hang around here much longer," Ian declared. "The other Daleks are bound to notice this one's missing any minute."

"Good point, Chesterton," the Doctor agreed. "Terna, can you move that thing?" he added.  
Terna glanced around. "Probably, but it's like a professional sound system in here. It might take me a couple of minutes to figure out how."

"That's time we don't have," Ian stated. "Alright, Terna, we'll just have to push you."

"Fine with me," she replied grimly.

"Okay, Susan, Barbara, give me a hand."  
Terna watched as Ian and the two women moved around to the back of the Dalek machine; she then felt them push firmly against it.  
The Lyall gripped the sides of the pilot chair and gritted her teeth as the machine slid across the cell floor and out into the hall.

"Okay. Susan, you know the way. You lead us," Terna heard Ian say.

"Ok," Susan nodded as she came back into the view of Terna's eye scope and moved ahead of the rest of the group as they shuffled down the hall in the awkward procession.  
Terna hugged her arms and rocked slightly in the pilot seat; she could feel waves of exhaustion and fatigue ripple throughout her body, her legs were numb and pins and needles stung up and down her arms.  
She felt faint, her eyes drooping; her breathing came hitched in her throat. She slumped back against the chair and fought to keep her eye open.

The group went on a ways down the hall until the came to a bend.  
"Wait," Susan instructed the others.  
Cautiously, she went forward a few steps and leaned around the corner. "Around this corner, there's a great iron door with a Dalek on guard, beyond that is a lift," she explained after rejoining the others.

"Alright, Terna?" Ian called to her.

"Yeah," she replied thickly.

"Use as little talking as possible," the Doctor instructed.

Terna nodded, and then remembered they couldn't see her face. "Right."  
As she spoke, she shifted position, and her elbow bumped the console. The Dalek machine suddenly gave a great jerk.

"What happened?" the Doctor demanded.

Terna gawked, staring down at the console and what looked almost like a joystick.  
"You've got to be kidding me," she breathed. _Was it really that simple?_  
Well, then again, Daleks didn't have thumbs.

"Are you alright, Terna?" Ian asked.

"I think I might have figured out how to operate this thing," Terna announced as she leaned forward, despite the ache in her limbs, and jiggled the controller. The Dalek machine moved from left to right.

"Yeah, I've got it." Terna couldn't help but smile. "Alright, Time Lord, Ian, get in front," she added.  
The two men obliged, and Terna gently pressed on the control mechanism, urging the machine forward in the others' wake.  
Fearfully, they rounded the bend in the hall and came across a large door with a Dalek standing guard just as Susan had predicted.

"Stop!" the Dalek commanded, and everyone froze.

The. Counsel. Wishes. To. Question. The. Prisoners," Terna announced through the microphone in her best Dalek voice.

"I. Was. Not. Informed," the real Dalek replied.

Through the nozzle lens, Terna could see flashes of fear cross everyone's face.  
She wet her dry lips and opened her mouth to respond, but the first Dalek cut her off.  
"Wait. I. Will. Check." He moved his plunger stock over to a communication panel mounted on the wall beside the door. Terna bit her lip. Not good.

"No! I'm not going. No!" Susan shrieked and broke away from the group, attempting to get away down the hall.  
Terna saw through her seemingly sporadic outburst and quickly pinned her to the wall with her plunger arm.

"Hold. Her." the Dalek commanded.

"I. Have. Got. Her." Terna replied. "Now. Help. Me. To. Get. Them. Inside."

She nudged Susan forward for emphasis as the Dalek turned and opened the lift door.  
It slid open with the same mechanical hum as the cell door as the Dalek turned and stepped aside.

Terna urged Susan, Barbara, Ian, and the Doctor into the room with the lift.  
"Shall. I. Escort. Them. To. The. Vault. Level. With. You?" the Dalek asked Terna.

"No. Close. The. Doors," she asserted. "The. Girl. Cannot. Run. Far. In. Here."

Wordlessly, the Dalek relented and exited the lift area. The door shut behind it, and the Doctor rushed over and pulled a cord out of the wall.  
"That activates the door," he explained.

"That was a brilliant idea, Susan," Barbara congratulated her.

"It didn't hurt you, did it?" Ian inquired of her, and Susan shook her head.

"Can I get out of this thing now? I'm suffocating," Terna called breathlessly. Ian nodded, and he and the others attempted to pry the lid off.

"I can't get this clasp free," he exclaimed through gritted teeth.

"What?" Terna banged on the ceiling of the container. "Get me out!".

"Will you calm down, Terna? We'll get you out," the Doctor called to her.

As he spoke, the sound of an alarm suddenly ripped through the eerie quiet of the compound.  
"Oh no," Terna breathed.

"Hang on. I got the lever free," the Doctor announced.

"The lid still won't budge," Barbara strained.

"Get me out of this thing!" Terna pounded her hands against the lid.

"Terna, try and open it up from the inside," Ian called to her.

"I'm trying," Terna threw her elbow against the lid of the machine and then the sides, despite the pain it caused her to do so. She beat her feet and arms against the walls, but nothing budged.

"Terna, stop; something in the opening mechanism jammed and forcing it's only going to make it worse," the Doctor called to her.

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one stuck inside this thing," Terna spat back just as a dull pounding on the other side of the lift door could be heard.

Susan rushed over towards the door and pressed her ear against it, listening. She suddenly shrieked and leapt back. "It's burning hot!" she cried.

Terna swung her nozzle around and saw a thin film of heat steadily growing across the center of the door.

"They're cutting through," Ian cried.

"It's no good, Terna, we'll have to move you into the lift," Barbara declared as she and the Doctor attempted to shove the bulky machine into the waiting elevator.

Terna was jostled around inside the Dalek shell, knocking against the walls.

She banged her head on one side and an explosion of pain lit up her vision.

Gasping and groaning, she curled up in a small ball in the bottom of the machine. Faintly, she could hear the cries and shouts of the others as well as the humming of the Daleks systematically burning through the door.

"Oh, it's stuck!" Susan cried.

"I don't understand. It moved easy enough before," Barbara exclaimed.

"They've magnetized the floor," the Doctor exclaimed grimly.

"They what?" Barbara cried.

"Can't you feel it?" the Doctor replied.

"Terna? Terna, can you hear me?"  
Terna glanced up to see Ian looking at her through the lens. "We can't get you into the lift."

Terna's insides twisted. She closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she leaned forward into the microphone. "Then take the others and go," she said.

"What? No! We're not leaving you down here!" Susan cried.

"No point in us all dying," Terna shot back. "And that's what's going to happen if you stay down here."

"Terna…" Susan started.  
"Go. Just go!" Terna cried, her voice breaking slightly.

"We'll send the lift back down for you," the Doctor called to her.

"No, Grandfather, we can't leave her," Susan cried.

"Come on, Susan." The Doctor grabbed the girl's hand and tugged her towards the lift.

"Terna, don't do this," Barbara whispered.

"Come on, Barbara," Ian said to her. "We'll come back for you, Terna," he added.

Terna closed her eyes, and her heart skipped a beat when she felt the others move away from the machine. She didn't dare watch them go.

Soon she heard the faint hum of the lift going up, and then all that could be heard was the shrill grinding of the Daleks cutting through the door.

Terna crumpled up on the machine floor, knocking weakly against the walls. But she didn't have the strength to create even the slightest impact on the firm sides of the Dalek shell.  
Her body felt hot with fatigue and fear; Terna leaned her face against the cold metal all around her, feeling tears prickling behind her eyes.

Suddenly, there was a violent shove against the sides of the machine, and Terna jumped in shock.  
"Wake up, Terna! I won't have you falling asleep on me."

The Lyall gaped. "Time Lord? What are you doing?" she cried.

"What's it look like?" the Doctor shot back. "I'm getting you out of there."

"I told you to leave!" Terna cried.

"I don't take orders from you," the Doctor shot back.

"Well, you very well should," Terna replied, a false anger in her voice. "I was trying to help you. Now, you'll probably get yourself killed. You are a fool, Time Lord."

"Maybe," Terna glanced up in shock when she saw the lid of the Dalek machine lift easily off the top. The Doctor poked his head into view, "But I'm the fool that's about to save your life."

Terna stared at him in shock. "Well, don't just sit there gaping. Come on!" the Doctor cried, exasperated, as he held his hand out to her.

Terna denied it. "How did you get the lid open?" she demanded.

"With this," the Doctor held out a small tool.

Terna arched an eyebrow "A screwdriver?"

"A _sonic _screwdriver," the Doctor asserted.

Terna rolled her eyes as she attempted to hoist herself out of the machine. Her arms gave out as they gripped the rim, and her whole body trembled as she slumped against the side of the machine.  
She jerked her head towards the door when she heard the whining and felt the heat of the Daleks' cutting devices.

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that they had almost cut a hole clean through the doors.

"They're almost through, and the lifts not back down," Terna whispered, her voice rising in volume as panic bubbled up inside her.

"Terna…"

"We're not getting out of here!"

"Terna, look at me!"

The Lyall turned back towards the Doctor, taken aback by the intensity in his voice.  
Their eyes met: blue on blue, although one a lot more intense than the other and shining with tears.

However, as Terna looked at the Doctor's eyes, she couldn't help but find them to be rather pleasant, but also eerie as though there was something off about them.  
"Terna, I promise, I'll get you out of here," the Doctor whispered. Terna felt his hand close around her wrist, but she didn't jerk away this time.

Suddenly, with more strength than she thought he had, the Doctor wrapped his arms around Terna and lifted her from the machine, gathering her up bridal style.

Eyes wide in surprise, Terna wrapped her arms around his neck, suddenly feeling very faint.  
"I've got you," he whispered in her ear. They suddenly heard the chimes of the lift as it touched back down on their floors.

Terna dared to breathe a sigh of relief, and the Doctor rushed towards it as the lift doors opened, pressing the top floor button as he went.

As he crossed the threshold, Terna heard the Dalek guns cease their cutting, followed by the thunderous crash of the doors collapsing into the room.

"Stop!" The Doctor spun around, Terna gripping onto him tightly, just as the lift doors closed, and they caught a glimpse of the room filling with Daleks.  
"Press. The. Emergency. Button. Bring. Them. Back. Down." Terna and the Doctor heard one of the Daleks command as the lift began to slowly move towards the ground level of the city.

"Let them try," the Doctor laughed as he gently place Terna down on the ground beside him, leaning her against the wall as gently as though she were a China doll. "I put a lock on the emergency button with the sonic screwdriver. They'll need to override it."

As he spoke, he pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling her frozen skin.  
"How long will that take?" Terna demanded.

"Oh, a few minutes."

"We don't have a few minutes," Terna cried.

"Then let's just hope this is a fast elevator," the Doctor declared simply, sitting down beside her and taking her hand.

It wasn't: the ride in the lift felt like an eternity. The machine moved at a snail's pace.  
Terna's grip on the Doctor's hand tightened in spite of herself, feeling her fingers tremble with a mixture of exhaustion and fear.

The lift was moving too slowly; one of the Daleks would push the emergency button and they'd be brought down and gunned down any moment.  
Waves of fatigue washed over Terna. Her Force Anima levels were at an all-time low. In spite of herself, she closed her eyes and her head slumped against the Doctor's shoulder.

"Terna, what's your favorite color?" The Lyall's eyes snapped open. She stared at him in surprise. "I'm simply trying to distract you," he explained.

"I don't need to be distracted," Terna spat. "You're treating me like a child."

"Well, I was carrying you like an infant," the Doctor observed.

"Must you remind me?" Terna grumbled.

"It's only awkward if you make it awkward," the Doctor mused.

"You made it awkward," Terna shot back.

"Just tell me what your favorite color is," the Doctor exclaimed. "I'm simply trying to ease the tension, and you're acting like it's an affront your personal space."

"Don't talk to me about personal space," Terna grumbled.

"You were the one with your arms around my neck," the Doctor stated.

Terna stiffened. "Blue," she said after a pause.

The Doctor chuckled. "Oh really? I couldn't have guessed," he added, noting the folds of Terna's blue dress splayed out across her limp form.

"Now's not the time for sarcasm," Terna snapped.

"There's always a time for sarcasm," the Doctor asserted. "And for the record, blue's my favorite color too."

"Good for you," Terna grumbled.

"Grandfather!" At that moment, they heard Susan's voice coming from higher up the shaft.  
"Susan?" the Doctor called back, jumping to his feet.

"Are you alright?" Ian called. "Do you have Terna?"

"Yes, we're fine," the Doctor replied. As the lift climbed higher, the others slowly came into view; all crowded around the open lift doors. At that moment, the lift suddenly stopped dead with it only partially filling the empty space.

"Seems the Daleks finally managed to push the emergency button. Good ol' sonic screwdriver."

"Couldn't you have just used that to open the cell door_ hours_ ago?" Terna cried.

"Doors were locked from the outside, my dear Terna," the Doctor replied simply as he picked her up again and hoisted her up over the rim of the open doorway and into Ian's waiting arms.

"Alright, Terna?" he inquired.

Terna stared at him, breathless. "Could be worse," she replied simply.

"You're welcome, by the way," the Doctor added as Susan and Barbara helped him out of the lift.

Terna glanced at him and again saw that strange factor in his eyes. There was something off about them, something eerily different, and she couldn't put her finger on what.

* * *

*Translation:

_In virtute Dei, quod factum est inferni?!-_ By the might of God, what the hell just happened?!

* * *

A/N: Apologies this was late by the way, I'm having trouble formatting this seven episode serial down to size. Hope it was worth the wait.


	9. The Mutants- The Expedition

A/N: My apologies for not updating, I got the flu last week. Anyways, I'm back! J Quick note as well is that I mashed Terna and the Doctor's first person perspective chapters together into one as the following chapter NEEDS to be in third person. It's easier to write that way. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 9: The Mutants- The Expedition

* * *

Bad luck seems to come for me in spades as of late. Wonder what I did to piss it off so much. Well, can't think about that right now or anything really. My head hurts.

"Are you alright, Grandfather?" Susan inquired of the Doctor.

"Yes, but we must find a way out of this room," the Doctor replied, straightening up and glancing around.

I did as well. We were in a low-ceilinged space, empty except for a series of bizarre, twisted sculptures in the middle of the room. The ceiling and floors were both white like the halls, but the walls were all windows.  
"Daylight!" Barbara cried, rushing up to press her face against the nearest one.

"Where are we?" Ian inquired.

"Right at the top of the building, I can just see the edge of the city," the Doctor replied, moving to stand beside Barbara and pointing out the window. "And see? There's the edge of the petrified jungle."

"Oh yeah." Ian and Susan helped me over to the window, and the latter craned his neck to see over Barbara and the Doctor. "I'm trying to remember what roads we came down."

"Yes, everything looks the same from above," Barbara agreed. "Perhaps there's-," she stopped. "Ian," she called.

"What is it?" Ian rushed over to her, sensing the urgency in her voice.

"I saw something move," Barbara whispered, pointing towards the city wall. "Over there, by that gateway. I saw someone run across that space."

"A Dalek?" the Doctor offered.

"No, it was a man," Barbara asserted.

"The Thals!" Susan exclaimed. "They've come for the food supplies."

"If that's so, then they're probably walking right into an ambush," I declared.

"We have to warn them!" Susan cried, rushing up to the window and banging vigorously on the glass.  
I staggered back, left with no one to support me, and collapsed against the wall while the others gathered around Susan and pounded their hands against the window.  
They hollered and cried and beat the glass, but nothing happened.

"It's no use," Ian exclaimed. "This room must be sound proof. We need to find a way down there."

"Yes, but how, dear boy?" the Doctor demanded.

I glanced down dejectedly. _Wait, the wall I'm leaning against has a threshold_.

"Hey, this is a door!" I cried, attempting to sit up.

"Yes, it is!" Ian exclaimed rushing to help me away from the door. Stupid legs, if only I could walk and didn't have to be carried around like a cripple. "Here. Doctor, open it."

The Doctor obliged, waving his hand over the panel beside the door. Nothing happened. He tried again.

"What's wrong with it?" Susan cried.

"Oh, they've magnetized it too!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Come on, let's try and force it open." He and Ian then threw themselves against the door, attempting to pry it apart from the wall with their fingers.

Just then, I heard a faint humming sound. Not good. "The lift's coming back up!" I cried. The Daleks were almost on us. Shit!

"Hang on, I think it's starting to move," Ian cried, shoving his shoulder against the door as it moved but a few inches. "Here, Doctor, keep trying to get it open."

As Ian spoke, he rushed over to the elevator where Barbara, Susan, and me were already crowded around in a worried huddled. He quickly tried to push the return button, but the lift only continued to steadily rise closer towards us.  
"It's no good," Ian cried desperately. I threw my hands up in dismay. It was about all I was good for.

"If only we had a really heavy weight we could use to weigh it down or plug up the shaft or something," I exclaimed.  
Ian whirled around; he glanced towards me and then towards the center of the room. I followed his gaze to see he was looking at the twisted sculptures that seemed to be decorating the space.

"Terna, you're a genius," Ian cried as he rushed over and attempted to drag one of the stone pieces over to the lift doorway.  
"Come over here and give me a hand," he called to Susan and Barbara, who quickly obliged.  
All pushing together, the three of them shoved the stone structure nearly too slowly across the tower floor and then out and over the rim of the lift shaft.

It fell in steady silence and then CRASH.  
There was a sound like electrical shocks and splintering metal as well as the crumbling of stone raining down the empty space, tumbling back to the ground in a mess of rock and broken lift capsule.

"I've got the door open!" the Doctor cried, slightly strained.

"Alright, we've weighed the odds a little more in our favor. Now, let's get out of here," Ian declared, and no one needed to be told twice. Ian stepped aside and held the partially ajar door open for the Doctor, Susan, and Barbara and then braced it with his foot so as to pick me up and carry me through the tight space.

"I do hope we get back to the TARDIS soon," I grumbled as we raced down the hall, Ian jostling me about in his uneven grasp. "I'm getting sick of all of you having to lug me around."

"Yes, I'm sure it's exhausting," the Doctor called back from the head of the group.

"And besides, you're a Queen, aren't you? You should be used to this," Ian added, flashing me a cheeky grin.

I scowled in response. "I'll have you know, human, in my true form, I have strength beyond your comprehension. I did not require the aid of my subjects for something as silly as simple mobility."  
Ian laughed.

We ran down the hall at a frantic pace, passing hall after hall of plain, white sameness.  
I squeezed my eyes shut and rested my head in the crook of Ian's neck as I bumped along, feeling a sense of weightlessness wash over me.

This was bad, really bad. I was at my barest minimum for Force Anima, only the smallest amount was available keeping me tethered to this form. I could feel my heartbeat accelerate and my breathing hitch. If I ran out of Amina completely, then the majority of my soul I kept within it would return to the rest of my core inside the TARDIS Heart.

I'd barely survived that the first time around; I wasn't certain I'd be able to do it again.

"Stop!" Susan suddenly cried.  
I reopened my eyes to see everyone had skidded to a halt at a doorway that was filled with pale daylight; the outermost workings of the city could be seen beyond the threshold. "I recognize this place," Susan explained. "This is the gate we entered when we were trying to find mercury and beyond this is the archway that leads back into the jungle."

"We're almost out!" Barbara exclaimed, breathless with fatigue and relief.

"Do you see any Daleks?" I asked weakly.

Susan leaned cautiously forward on the very tips of her toes and glanced left to right. "No, it's safe."

"Alright, let's head back to the ship," the Doctor announced.

"No! We can't," Susan cried. "We have to warn the Thals."

"Now, Susan…" the Doctor started.

"They're walking right into a trap!" she interrupted.

"The Thals are no concern of ours," the Doctor replied sharply. "We cannot jeopardize our lives in an affair that's none of our business."

"Of course it's our business," Barbara asserted firmly. "It was the Thals that gave us the radiation drugs. Without that, we'd be dead."

"The Thals are walking into a massacre, ignorant and blind," I mused grimly. "But what can we do? We can't even take care of ourselves against the Daleks. How are we to aid the Thals?"

"We _will _do something, but there's no point in us risking our entire party," Ian declared as he abruptly passed me to the Doctor.  
Again, I felt like a baby. "Here, you take Terna and get her, Susan, and Barbara out of here, Doctor. Careful, she's in real bad shape," he added as the Doctor fumbled with me.

"If you drop me, I swear to God, Time Lord…" I grumbled through clenched teeth.

"Well, it seems your mouth's still in good shape," the Doctor mused. "But what are you going to do?" he added to Ian.

"I'm going to stay here and warn the Thals," Ian replied.

"No, you can't. We're in this together; we should stick together!" Susan cried.

"Susan, you do as I say," Ian asserted sharply. "You go back to the ship with Barbara, Terna, and your Grandfather."

"No, you can't-" Susan attempted to argue further, but Barbara cut her off.

"I know what Ian is saying. He'll do much better on his own if he doesn't have us to worry about. Now, come on."  
She put her arm around Susan's shoulders as the young girl's bottom lip started to tremble in a mixture of desperate anger and grief. "We'll wait for you," she added to Ian; her voice quiet as she patted his arm slightly with her free hand. Ian nodded.

"Good luck, Chesterton," the Doctor added quickly before hurrying off after Barbara and Susan, dragging me along. I glanced over the Doctor's shoulder.

"Ian!" I called as he turned to leave.  
Ian whirled around, surprise evident on his face as it, I would later learn from him, was the first time I'd addressed him by name. "You come back, you hear me." I called firmly. Ian nodded; the hint of a smile on his lips before he spun on his heel and dashed back into the building.

We made it through and out of the city in pretty good time, sticking to the faded shadows the buildings cast in the hopes of giving us even a little concealment.  
I rested my head on the Doctor's shoulder, my eyes no longer having the strength to remain open. I felt bone tired, like a dull throb from the pain of an old wound was pulsing throughout my body.

"T-Time Lord…" I tried to say something, but my voice was choked in my throat.

"I've had to carry you a lot, haven't I?" the Doctor grunted, and I could vaguely feel him shift my position in his grasp. "Luckily, you're not as heavy as you look."

I heard the jab and wished to respond, but I could feel myself slipping, a witty retort poised on the tip of my tongue.  
"Terna…? Terna!" the Doctor cried in alarm as my body went limp in his arms. I could feel the darkness closing in around me as well as the scalding fire of the TARDIS somewhere off in the distance. I

f I returned to it, I would burn.  
"Terna…Terna! Can you hear me?"  
I thought the Doctor was calling my name, but he sounded really far away.

"What's wrong with her?" Was that Barbara?

"To put it simply, she's dying," the Doctor replied.

Am I? Huh, didn't think I'd ever do that. I felt faint, delirious and giddy, like my body was rocking on the waves of a calm ocean, the rippling waters creating a soft cushion underneath me.  
It was nice, peaceful…cold.

()()()

A felt an icy liquid sloshing down my dry throat, some of the ocean water must have spilled into my mouth. It felt good, thick and cool as it filled my mouth with a sweet flavor, like honeysuckle nectar. I attempted to swallow, but my throat was too thick from lack of air. I choked forcefully, and some of the water came back up.  
I groaned, feeling it grate across the sides of my sore mouth.  
God, my head hurt. It felt like someone had tried to knock a large metal bolt into it.  
My eyelids fluttered lazily, at first I caught nothing but flashes of grey through my eyelashes, and then my eyes drifted shut again.

I tried to open them more fully and succeeded this time as an image came into view.  
My heart leapt into my throat.

A pale face was resting not an inch from me.  
I screamed.  
The face screamed back.

I sat bolt upright, still crying out in alarm as the owner of the face jumped away from me, dropping a ladle filled with a clear liquid. It splattered all over the TARDIS floor as the instrument fell with a clatter. Hang on…the TARDIS!

I stopped screaming, snapping my mouth shut as I gazed around. I was lying on the Greek sofa; the TARDIS console was pumping and whizzing beside me in a hazy flurry of lights and noise. I'd never thought I'd be happy at the sight of those polished white walls or mess of buttons.  
I shifted into a sitting position, and upon doing so, I could see that the face's owner was cowering against the back wall.

Now able to examine her fully, I could see that it was a woman. She was stunningly beautiful with clear, alabaster skin and glossy white-blonde hair that fell to her shoulders. Her figure was fine and delicate, her eyes bright and shinning with a brilliant blue (not as bright as mine of course).

She was dressed in strips of worn cloth that hugged her body in all the right places. Her full lips trembled, as did the rest of her, shaking like a delicate leaf at the sight of me.  
I opened my mouth, intending to demand who she was, when a second figure suddenly barreled in through the surprisingly open TARDIS doors.

"Dyoni! What's happened?" the man demanded, stopping dead at the sight of the frightened girl.

My first thought: _Why hello handsome_.  
This man was pale and fair like the woman with the same light eyes and flawless features; his body was chiseled and sharp, his expression calm but also with a layer of intensity and determination underneath. "Are you alright?" the man asked the girl called Dyoni, gently helping her to her feet.

He paused when his eyes fell on me. "Ah, I see you're awake."

"Evidently. Who are you?" I demanded.

"Forgive me. We must have startled you," the woman exclaimed, breaking from the man's grasp and walking back over to me. "I am Dyoni, and this is Alydon," she explained, gesturing to the man.

"Alydon?" I glanced at him. "Susan spoke of you."

"Indeed, I encountered the young Susan in the forest and sought to aid her."

"So, you're Thals?" I surmised. Dyoni nodded. "What are you doing inside the TARDIS?" I demanded

"Oh, the Doctor asked me to keep an eye on you while you were sleeping inside this tent," Dyoni quickly explained.

"We met up with your party on the edge of the petrified jungle. We set up our camp beside yours while we wait for our meeting party to return from the Dalek City. You were very ill, and we offered to care for you until you were well."

"Where are the others?" I inquired.

"Hang on, I shall fetch them," Alydon replied simply. He exited the TARDIS; Dyoni watched him go. I caught a distinguishable gleam in her eyes; it would seem pretty boy's taken.

The Thal woman turned back to me. "How are you feeling?" She regarded me with an earnest concern in her eyes that was a little off-putting, taking both my hands in her own and squeezing them firmly.

I wasn't sure how to respond to it; I licked my dry lips. "Can I have a drink of water?" I croaked.

"Of course." Dyoni quickly gathered up the fallen ladle and the clay bowl of the sweet water and handed it to me. I downed the whole thing in one gulp.

"Better?" she inquired.

I swallowed thickly. "Yes, much better."

"I'm glad. Your husband is a very loving man by the way," Dyoni added with a knowing smile.

I choked on the remainder of the sugar water. "What? Husband? What are you talking about?"

"Why the man that carried you in his arms all the way here from the Dalek City of course," Dyoni cried as though this was obvious. "A man like that, you are a lucky woman."

"What? You mean the Time Lord?" I sputtered. "You've got it wrong. Him and I…We're not."

"Terna!" Thankfully, Susan saved me from a very awkward conversation as she and the Doctor both entered the TARDIS, accompanied by Alydon. "Are you feeling any better?" the young Time Lady asked.

"Much better," I replied, slowly getting to my feet and nudging Dyoni aside. "Why don't you get away from me; you Thals are quite touchy."

"It was amazing, Terna," Susan exclaimed. "We brought you into the TARDIS, and Grandfather laid you down and then there was this burst of blue fire that consumed everything and then it all went inside you."

"That would be Force Anima," I explained, "the central force of all life."

"Indeed, it was almost as striking as your eyes," Alydon mused. Dyoni shot him a jealous glare.

"My eyes are made of it," I replied simply.

"We got here just in time too," Susan continued. "And Grandfather carried you all the way," she added.

The Doctor snorted indignantly. "Yes and my rheumatism is going to be complaining about it later. I hope you're grateful."  
I laughed, more from relief than anything else.

"It's not funny!" the Doctor insisted.

"Yeah, it kinda is," I replied with a snort.

"It is not," the Doctor insisted.

"Thank you," I abruptly stopped laughing. The Doctor stared at me, taken aback, and flushed deeply.

"Yes, whatever," he turned to leave. I smiled after him, but that soon faded.

"Wait, where's Barbara…and Ian!" I cried, jumping to my feet. I remembered the state we'd left the latter in before I'd passed out.

"Barbara's just outside," Susan explained. "As for Ian, he's not back yet."

"What?" I was aghast.

"None of them are," Alydon stated grimly. "We sent our leader Temmosus and some others to meet with the Daleks about food. I understand your friend stayed behind to warn them of a possible ambush. At this moment, none have returned."

I felt my heart skip a beat, and I knew it wasn't from a loss of Anima. "That's not good."

"No, it isn't," the Doctor agreed. "In the meantime, I've been trying to figure out where we are."

I arched an eyebrow. "What? The TARDIS can't tell you?"

"No. As a matter of fact, I need your help with something, Terna." The Doctor beckoned to me as he headed out of the TARDIS.

"What? You want my help? The great and prideful Time Lord is asking aide of a Lyall?"

"Weren't you the one that just sang my praises for saving your life a moment ago?" the Doctor shot back.

"That's a bit of an exaggeration, Time Lord," I spat, quickly following him out of the TARDIS. "I said 'thank you', that's all."

The Doctor laughed. "And that was enough."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded.

Alydon, Dyoni, and Susan watched us go.

"Are they always like this?" Dyoni asked the latter.

Susan nodded in dismay.

()()()

Upon exiting the TARDIS, I found myself in the same dusty, grey clearing in the middle of the petrified jungle, although now it wasn't so quiet and eerie.

At least a couple dozen Thals were scattered around the TARDIS.  
Having pitched tents, many were gathered in worried groups under the leaning structures, some were pacing in agitation.  
A few of the men stood guard on the edge of the clearing, peering anxiously into the darkness.

The pale sun shining through the stone branches told me it was early evening.  
All of the Thals looked identical to Dyoni and Alydon: they were all fair and pale with stunningly beautiful features, and they were all scantily clad with most of the males practically bare-chested. I blushed heavily as a few men walked by.

_Get a hold of yourself, Terna_, I shook my head. I spied Barbara surrounded by a few male Thals; her dark hair and heavier clothing standing out like a fly in milk amongst the crowd.  
She had the same mask of worry upon her face that I knew was for Ian, who had still not returned.

She feared the worst, as we all did.

"Terna, this way." I was snapped out of my musings by the Doctor leading me over to a large grey chest that sat open on the grass.  
The chest was old and worn with a pair of support beams attached to either side meant to hoist it up onto people's shoulders so it could be carried great distances. Judging from the weathered look of the capsule, I'd say it had seen a lot of travel.

"I'm getting an Arc of the Covenant vibe," I declared, slipping my hands into the pocket of my dress and wilting slightly when I didn't feel the comforting wood of my magnifying glass.  
I remembered the Daleks had taken it. Shame, I liked that magnifying glass...

"Well, this is sort of an Arc," the Doctor explained as he picked his way through the items inside. The chest was filled to the brim with smaller capsules and boxes, pages of books and manuscripts, stone writings in some alien tongue, as well as roles of what looked like film footage.  
"This chest is the most precious item of the Thal people," the Doctor explained. "It's the last of the knowledge they possessed before the great war with the Daleks. Apparently, they were once an advanced society."

"You're like a kid in a candy store," I mused with a snicker as the Doctor rifled through the ancient treasures of the Thal people.

"Would you stop condescending and help me with this?" the Doctor snapped irritably.

"Fine, fine," I sighed, dropping to my knees beside him. "What exactly do you need my help with?"

"This," the Doctor explained, pulling from the chest a series of hexagon shaped pieces. He laid them out on the dirt in front of me, and I could see that the pieces came together to form a picture of sorts. A dark backdrop speckled with dozens of stars.

"It's a map," I deduced.

"Indeed, a record of this planet's solar system that must go back at least half a million years," the Doctor explained, seemingly ecstatic at the thought. "Can you imagine the advancements these people must have made to be able to see this far into space?"

I glanced down at the map. "So, where are we?"

"Right here." The Doctor pointed to a small white speck amongst a dusty mass of a solar system.

"I see." I leaned in closer towards the spot the Doctor had indicated.  
Some small increment of familiarity was certainly nagging at the back of my mind at the sight of this map. "I wish I could see this more clearly," I muttered, squinting down at the faded images.

"Do you want to borrow my glasses?" the Doctor offered.

"No, I don't want to borrow your glasses," I snapped back.  
Then I saw it, nestled on the very edge. "No, it can't be!" I cried, my head snapping back up. "Is there any more of this map?"

"Yes, there are a few more pieces," the Doctor replied, reaching into the chest and pulling out a few more shards.

"Lemme see!" I cried, snatching them from the Doctor's grasp and fitting them into place, completing the map a little further.  
There it was, nestled amongst a mass of dust and fire, burning as brightly as a sun, but it wasn't a sun. It was a planet, a very specific planet.  
As I looked down at the map, I felt a rush of a dozen emotions at once, too many to name. My eyes prickled with tears.

"Terna?"

"That's it, isn't it?" I whispered, tenderly reaching out to touch the image. "That's Eedonya. My home planet."

"You mean the planet of the Lyall?" the Doctor cried.

"The very same," I nodded. "Which means, if we're on this planet…." I pointed to the one the Doctor had indicated. "Then we're on a planet my people used to oversee, back during the Great Lyall Empire. If my memory serves me, that space is occupied by the Planet Skaro."

The Doctor stared at me, blinking in astonishment. "So, that's where we are? A planet you once ruled? Skaro?"

"I do believe so," I agreed.

Suddenly, something snapped in the back of my mind like a rubber band.  
A burst of mental pain shot down my spine and a series of images suddenly coursed before my eyes. Images of fire, screams, pain, and blood, visions of death, destruction, and terror.  
Fear, unimaginable fear hung thick in the air, mixing with the smoke and the scent of death as the wounded lay screaming and flailing on the ground.

It's hard to kill a Lyall, but if you do, they die slowly.

My scream mixed with the cries in my mind as I staggered back, shrieking and beating at the air, trying to knock away the sights and sounds as they exploded out from the rip in my mind. The hole in my head, this was what I'd forgotten and now I was remembering. Fear what you know; fear what you will soon learn…

"Terna. Terna!" I felt the Doctor shaking me. As the images dissipated, I looked up to see that the Doctor, Susan, Barbara, Alydon, and Dyoni were all gathered around me; the same expression of concern and slight fear etched on their faces.  
I blinked rapidly, trying to clear it, but the things I'd just seen still flashed across my vision every time I'd closed my eyes, imprinted on my eyelids like stains.

"Terna, what happened?" Barbara asked, gently helping me sit up. "You're trembling," she whispered.

"I'm fine," I insisted, staggering to my feet and stumbling a few paces away from the group.  
I paused to lean against a tree. I could feel the emptiness of it pulsing under my fingers and this only made the racing of my own heart, the beating of my own blood, the rattle of my breathing in my chest all the more vibrant.  
The memories coursed through me, almost crippling me again. I squeezed my eyes shut as my subconscious attempted to suppress them again, to spare me the pain and the suffering.  
No. I willed myself to hold them, to grasp them firmly, to remember.

"Please, Terna, let us help you," I flinched when I felt Barbara's hand on my arm. I turned to face her and saw my fearful expression reflected in her eyes.

I took a deep breath, hoping to contain myself. "I was right. There was a war," I whispered.

"A war with the Daleks?" Susan asked.

I nodded. "Yes, my people did learn of Skaro's rebellion against us, and they attempted to quell the uprising, but we underestimated the Daleks, and they caught us off guard."

"But how could the Daleks have defeated you?" the Doctor demanded. "The Lyall are among the strongest and most powerful beings to ever exist. Nothing can withstand them, let alone combat them."

"That's what we thought," I stated, slumping down against the tree. "But Lyall are not invincible, and the Daleks learned of a way to kill us."

"How did they manage that?" the Doctor demanded.

I clenched my fists. "Think about it, Time Lord; a Dalek is the only living thing in the universe not constructed from the natural matter of creation; they are not made with souls or Force Anima. Therefore, they are opposite and equal to a Lyall. Their power is as great as ours," I paused to take a shaky breath, "And they are our greatest weakness."

"But if beings as powerful as you were defeated by the Daleks than there's no hope for us," Barbara cried.

"Not necessarily," the Doctor asserted. "The Lyall may have been forced to retreat, but they have left the Daleks weakened and exposed in their wake. They are not as strong as they were and they are fewer in number. We must harness their weaknesses and use them to our advantage. Tell me, Terna, how did the war end?"

I glanced up. "I…I don't remember. I don't think I have everything back yet. The first round was such a painful rush, I think my mind may have locked some of it back up again."

"Oh, do try to remember," the Doctor exclaimed. "The information you manage to retain could be vital."

"You're right," I uncurled my fists and slowly rose to my feet. "I need not just to remember, but I need to prepare."

"Prepare? What do you mean?" Alydon asked.

"I need to find a_ Gyrum_*."

()()()

"What exactly are you going to do with this _'Gyrum'_, Terna?" Susan inquired as she and the others followed me away from the clearing and off into the dense and silent jungle.

"I'm going to stick my fingers in it and drain it for all its worth," I declared. "Hopefully it will give me the power I need as well as enough of an electrical pulse to jog my memory fully."

"What exactly is a _Gyrum_?" Dyoni inquired in a small voice.

"It's like a bank vault," I explained, but stopped when I saw Dyoni's confused expression. _Right, she lives in the woods; I doubt she knows what a vault or a bank is. Silly me. _"A _Gyrum _is an underground temple of sorts which Lyall had their subjects construct."

"You mean like…slavery?" I could hear the judgment in Barbara's voice before I turned to face her and see that her expression was covered in it.

"We paid them…sort of." My voice trailed off. "Whatever, that doesn't matter now. Anyway,_ Gyrums _were used to store extra recesses of Psychic and Force Amina. A kind of back-up power supply in case we were ever in a pinch and had need of it. It came in handy, especially during wartime, which is why I'm pretty certain there'd be one nearby as we are on Skaro."

"Do you really think it wise to venture away from the clearing?" Alydon interrupted me, casting a weary glace over his shoulder as the thick trees closed in around us."

"I didn't ask you to come with me," I reminded him. "You can return to the clearing whenever you want."

"Alydon does have a point though," the Doctor interjected. "It would be wise not to remain in the forest too long. What if Ian and the others return while we are gone?  
Therefore, I think it best we do not spend too much time stumbling about in the brush searching for this thing. Tell me, Terna; is there some kind of specific sign or marking that could direct you to the location of this _Gyrum_?"

"Of course there is," I replied, slightly miffed. "Look for a symbol carved into a tree that looks like an upside down upper case L," I explained.

"Where would that be carved?" Alydon asked.

"I dunno, anywhere, I guess," I replied.

"Oh, that's comforting," the Doctor grumbled as he and Alydon headed off towards a cluster of dense foliage, Dyoni trailing silently behind them.

"Terna, look at this!" Susan suddenly cried. I glanced her way to see she was crouched in the ashy dirt, her small fingers pawing after a small object glittering amongst the pale dust.

"What is it, Susan?" Barbara asked at the same time I demanded: "How the hell did you spot that?"

"I don't know," Susan straightened up, the small object poised in her palm. It gleamed faintly in the pale light, coated thickly in grey dust.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked Barbara as the human woman leaned forward so as to examine it closer.

"Why, it's a ring," she exclaimed, plucking the object from Susan's palm and gently blowing away the ashy particles.

I eyed the object keenly, the familiar gleam of the metal and stone that looped together into a circular band. I drew in a sharp breath. "That's mine," I whispered.

Barbara and Susan glanced up in surprise. "What? It's yours?" Barbara cried.

"Lemme see," I whispered. Gingerly, Susan passed the ring to me.

I fought to keep my fingers from shaking as I clasped the small object in my fingers. "Yes…Yes, this is definitely mine," I confirmed.

"How can you tell?" Susan asked.

"See, the E carved on the side?" I gestured to a small letter carved faintly into the side of the band. "E for Eternal, that's how you can tell this is a royal ring. Also, the ring is set with sapphire stones. Those were my chosen gemstones. Therefore, you could distinguish my ring from my sisters' and brothers'."

"It really is beautiful, Terna," Susan declared.

"Yeah, it really is," I whispered, turning the ring through my fingers. What a lucky find. I couldn't believe we had landed the TARDIS so near to the place where I'd lost my ring. Where….I felt my body go cold as the memories stirred within the depths of my mind.

"It's the infinity symbol," Barbara observed. "I thought it was an eight, but when you turn it a certain way…"

"Hey, you're right," Susan agreed.

I glanced at Barbara. "You know of this symbol?"

"Yes, of course. It's used on Earth to represent eternity, endless," Barbara explained.

"Well, that's rather fitting," I declared.

"How do you mean?" Susan inquired.

I smiled. "Eternal is more than a name, Susan." Susan and Barbara regarded me with looks of confusion.

"Terna, Terna!" Dyoni's voice rang out through the thicket before I could explain further. "Alydon found the symbol you were looking for."

"Really? Great," I cried, quickly tucking the ring into the pocket of my dress before racing off after the young Thal, Susan and Barbara close behind.

The Doctor and Alydon were gathered around a low rock that was half set into the thin earth, creating an overhang of sorts into a ditch that dropped down sharply into a craggy tunnel below. Carved above the entrance, into the rock, was the upside down L I had indicated.

"But that's _Gamma_*!" Barbara cried.

"_Gamma_? What's that?" Dyoni inquired.

"_Gamma_'s a letter in the Greek Alphabet if I'm not mistaken," the Doctor mused.

"Yes, it is," Barbara confirmed.

"It also means photon, as in light," I explained. "Therefore, it was like a lantern of sorts, used to guide us to the _Gyrum_."

"Well, hurry up and gather whatever it is you need in there," Alydon urged me, once again glancing around. "I do not like the feel of these woods; they grow far too close to the Dalek City."

I pursed my lips.  
Nodding, I quickly ducked down under the rocky outcropping and slipped down into the cool, damp tunnel it shielded.

"What's it like down there, Terna?" Susan called after me.

"Musty," I replied with a sneeze.

"Do you see the _Gyrum_?"  
I glanced back to see the Doctor was crouched at the mouth of the cave, leaning precariously over the side, so I almost thought he'd fall in after me. I smiled.

"If you want to come along, you can, Time Lord."

The Doctor snorted. "Do not mock my curiosity for a potentially fascinating scientific venture," he snapped before sliding down into the cave with Susan close behind, the latter's fairy-like features pale in the dim light. "Also, I do not require your permission to accompany you, Terna," the Doctor added.

"As a matter of fact you do," I asserted as Barbara staggered down the rugged slope after Susan, stumbling slightly on her worn heels. "You are about to enter sacred ground, after all," I reminded him.

"Alydon, are you coming?" Susan called back up.

"No, Dyoni and I shall remain here. We will keep watch."

"Suit yourself," I murmured before turning and slowly making my way along the narrow, sloping path. The others followed close behind me.

It wasn't long before the walls around us narrowed and the ceiling sloped drastically downward. The ground dipped as well, so I practically had to slide on my butt in order to avoid tripping and falling forward. The air around us was stale, dark, and seemed to press forcefully on us the deeper we went.

"How much further?" Barbara called from the back of the group, seemingly with great difficulty as she urged herself along the uneven ground.

"Not much further. I believe….AUGH!" I screamed as the ground suddenly fell away from under me, morphing into the lip of a slight cliff.

"Terna!" Susan cried in alarm, rushing towards me as I fell, crashing down hard on my back in a rather unceremonious manner. "Are you alright?" she inquired, peering cautiously over the side of the outcropping.

"Never better," I grumbled, coughing thickly, taking a moment to let the ache of the fall run from my limbs

Sitting up, I glanced around to find that I had fallen into a kind of low cavern with craggy walls speckled with thick stalagmites and stalactites.  
They protruded from the walls, floors, and ceiling like jagged teeth and dotted around the edge of a dense, deep pool that spawned from the center of the floor.  
Within the pool was not water, instead quenched a thirst deep within my soul that traced back to the very conception of life, the very matter of my being. Force and Psychic Anima swirled together in a vibrant and frantic dance, mixed with the deep, sapphire blue depth of Force and the thin, bright pale aqua of Psychic. The surged together in a storm of light and energy.

"Hey, I think I found the_ Gyrum_," I announced.

"That's the understatement of the century. We can see the light from here," the Doctor called back.

"I was being facetious, you moron. Get a sense of sarcasm," I shot back as I hastily got to my feet and picked my way across the uneven ground towards the Amina pool.

"Be careful, Terna," Susan urged.

"Please," I scoffed. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

"Perhaps you ought to take my granddaughter's advice," the Doctor mused. "Who knows? The Daleks may have found this place and tampered with the Anima."

I paused, my fingers outstretched, hovering over the iridescent waters.

A seed of doubt was planted in my mind, but I stiffened my resolve before it could germinate properly.  
Taking a deep breath, I plunged my hands up to the elbows in the Anima.  
An electric feeling shot up my limbs, sparking within every pore of my skin as it seeped into my skin, hot and cold at the same time.

My body locked itself up into a state of paralysis, shock at the sensations of the Anima pouring and pooling beneath my flesh, running thick and fast through my blood. I sucked in a sharp breath as a rush of emotions surged through me, felt all at once and then replaced by a sudden emptiness as the tides within me quelled.

Slowly, and without opening my eyes, I straightened up and brought my arms down to my sides. The tips of my fingers brushed the edge of polished wood projecting from my pocket.

Surprised, I opened my eyes and glanced down. My expression brightened. My magnifying glass…

()()()

"Terna!" Susan screamed in a mixture of alarm and fear as the Lyall plunged her arms into the depths of the _Gyrum_. There was a blinding flash of light that unfolded out like the petals of a photonic flower from the center of the caver; it spread out to ricochet off the walls of the space and send them hurtling back towards us with greater intensity. "Terna!" Susan repeated.

"Stay where you are, child," I ordered, holding her back against my chest as I shielded both her and myself from the light's glare. "Terna knows what she's doing."  
I hope.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the blue light dissipated and left nothing but the speckled ghost of its glare splattered across my vision.  
Blinking rapidly, I released a struggling Susan from my grasp, and the young girl quickly scrambled down the slope and into the cavern after Terna, Barbara close behind.

They worry too much.

All the same, and despite the fact that my exhausted limbs protested, I followed them down the uneven outcropping, and I hastily made my way over to the edge of the Amina pool, who's light had diminished somewhat, to where Terna was standing in a kind of daze.

"Terna?" Susan asked cautiously, taking a step towards her. Her back was to us, so I couldn't see her expression.

"Terna, are you alright?" Barbara inquired.

Terna turned to face us and her expression unfolded into a grin almost as blinding as the light from the Amina pool as she'd absorbed it. "Never better," she declared.

"Did you get all of your memories back?" I inquired.

"Yep," she replied, reaching into her pocket. "I also found my magnifying glass."  
Was it my imagination or did the light of Terna's smile seem almost too bright? Shining like plastic, as though it was vibrant and fake?

True, Terna always had a kind of unnatural glow about her pale skin, but now it seemed almost like an opaque covering to shield some kind of darkness. It was that same darkness that sometimes flashed somewhere in the corner of her intense eyes.

"It was in your pocket the whole time?" Susan exclaimed of the magnifying glass. "I thought the Daleks took it from you?"

"I must have called it back somehow," Terna mused, gently turning the magnifying glass over in her fingers.  
As she did so, flashes of Anima curled up from the hilt of the object and spread their way across the surface of the glass.

Terna arched an eyebrow in surprise at the sight of the yellow flames, and I also caught a glimpse of something else, that same dark and foreboding expression cross her face. But it was gone in a moment, swallowed by the light.  
In fact, she seemed to be glowing both metaphorically and quite literally, even a few of the lines seemed to have vanished from her face.

"What are you looking at?" Terna's question snapped me out of my musings.

"Nothing," I replied, quickly averting my eyes. "Now, come on. If you're quite finished, let's get back to camp."

"Yes, I agree," Barbara added, and I could see in her eyes that she was still worried about Ian. I found myself having a smidgen of concern for the brave young man as well.

"Right, let's go," Terna agreed, quickly slipping the magnifying glass back into her pocket so as to douse the flames. Reaching into her other pocket, she pulled out the ring Susan had found in the woods. Kissing it deeply, she slipped it onto her finger.

Alydon and Dyoni were anxiously waiting for us when we returned from the _Gyrum_. Terna seemed to be in rather high spirits despite the dark things she'd remembered from the Anima absorption.  
However, as much as I wanted to, I would not press her further until we had returned to the others.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Alydon inquired once we'd resurfaced.

"Yep," Terna replied. She faltered slightly when she caught sight of Alydon's eyes quickly drift further into the trees, just beyond the _Gyrum_ entrance, his pale gaze thick with worry.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Forgive me. I am a little concerned that we are so close to the marsh," Alydon admitted.

"The marsh? What do you mean?" Susan inquired.

"The marsh used to be a resort before the war. It was a forest-like haven that grew out of the back of the city that the Daleks now occupy."

Terna arched an eyebrow. "It leads into the city?"

"Yes, but it is heavily toxic now; the waters are polluted," Alydon explained.

"Then I can see the cause for your concern. Come, let us head back to the camp," I urged the others.

No one needed to be told twice as we all headed back into the jungle towards the Thal encampment. Terna went last, and I caught a brief glimpse of her pausing to glance over her shoulder towards the direction of the marsh.

When we returned to the clearing:

"Ian!"  
It didn't seem that Barbara could get across the clearing fast enough.  
Tottering along on her heels, she threw herself into Ian's arms.

Ian hugged her back, slightly taken aback at her forcefulness at first. He looked pale and exhausted, but seemed to perk up slightly at the sight of Barbara. The Thals that were with him, however, looked very grim.

"Temmosus is dead," one of them informed Alydon.

"I got to the hall where the Daleks and the Thals were set to meet, but I was too late and their leader was killed," Ian explained

"You managed to get the others out, though," Barbara stated. "And that is an accomplishment. Oh, we were so worried you'd been killed."

"Yes, we had a hell of a time trying to get out of the city," Ian replied.

"And if it hadn't been for your valor in warning my people, we all would have perished at the hands of the Daleks," Alydon commended, his light eyes dark with grief as Dyoni sobbed into his shoulder. "As I am now leader of this tribe, I can congratulate you with the highest honor of the Thal people."

"Thank you," Ian nodded his head solemnly.

"What are we to do now, Alydon?" Dyoni asked as she and the other Thals all looked to their new leader.

Alydon paused. "If only I knew why the Daleks hated us; I could change our approach towards them."

"Your leader, Temmosus, appealed to the Daleks very sensibly, any reasonable creature would have complied, but the Daleks had the intent of slaughtering you from the start," Ian stated grimly.

"Why? Why kill without any thought or reason?" Dyoni cried through her tears.

"The Daleks are made without Anima, they are devoid of all emotion and compassion," Terna declared. "Like living machines if that oxymoron makes any sense."

Once again, I could see that same darkness in Terna's eyes.  
"But I remember during the war, the Daleks fought brutally against all life that was not like their own; either you joined forces with them, or you were brutally destroyed."

"A dislike for the unlike," Ian mused.

Alydon glanced from Terna to Ian, "I don't follow you."

"The Daleks are hostile towards you because you are different from them," Terna explained. "No matter what you do, they will not comply with your wishes. No compromise can be made if you do not wish to become Daleks yourselves."

The air around the clearing seemed to become very cold; it hung thick with a dense quiet upon Terna's revelation.

"Then what would you have us do?" Dyoni whispered, wiping her eyes.

"We will build a mourning pyre for Temmosus," Alydon announced. "Our brave leader shall not have died without honor."

"I wouldn't recommend that," Terna piped up. "The smoke for the fire will alert the Daleks of your position. The last thing you need is for your position to be given away. You have the element of surprise on your side after all; it's best you keep it."

Alydon raised a brow. "You speak as though we intend to fight."

"Don't you?" Terna cried.

"Do not be hasty, Terna," Ian insisted. "War should be a last resort. However, for the moment, I think it best for the Thals to at least get the Daleks to respect them, to show some strength against them."

"But you think we ought to fight as well." Dyoni saw through Ian.

"I think it may come to that."

"You know less about our people than the Daleks do!" Dyoni cried, her pretty face flushing with rage.  
Ah, pacifists. That could be a problem.

"For now, the Daleks cannot leave their city, but suppose they could," Ian mused. "What would you do then?"

"We would return to our plateau where we came from," Alydon calmly replied.

"You'd simply run away?" Barbara exclaimed.

"What? Are you insane?" Terna cried. "The Daleks tried to have your people exterminated; they led you into a trap that could have been a slaughter. They brutally murdered your chief. And you choose not to retaliate?"

"There are things that are worth preserving," Alydon insisted. "The war has destroyed our planet, crippled our civilization. What would another do with so few of us left? We could face extinction."

"You are a fool," Terna snapped, getting up in Alydon's face. "You already face extinction. If you do not gain access to the Dalek's food and resources, your people shall all perish, and it is pretty clear the Daleks will not give it up without a fight."

"I will not jeopardize the safety of the Thal people at the behest of a stranger," Alydon shot back.

"The Daleks destroyed my people, you pacifist fool!" Terna exclaimed. "And they will destroy yours if you just sit idly by. You think you're safe in the jungle? The Daleks must have a means of leaving the city and if not, believe me, they will find a way."

"We shall not risk our lives," Alydon declared. "We are not afraid to die; Temmosus proved that, but we shall not throw our lives away needlessly."

"She's not talking about dying," Ian insisted. "And you can't just hand yourselves over to the Daleks; they will find a way to destroy you."

"I can see that you want to help us, but, as Dyoni said, you simply do not understand our ways. There can be no question of the Thals fighting the Daleks," Alydon stated; his voice was calm but cold, shutting Terna down with the ferocity of his gaze.  
However, she did not wilt under the look he gave her. She remained poised and firm with the resolve of a Queen.

Well, she's a good arguer, I'll give her that. However, on the subject of our fate, now that Chesterton had returned, and Terna's got the energy from the _Gyrum_, I see little reason for us to remain on Skaro.

"Chesterton, I do believe we have overstayed our welcome, and I think it's high time we return to the ship," I declared.

"Grandfather, we could stay a little longer," Susan protested. "The Thals are such nice people."

"And the Daleks are not," I reminded her. "Which is why I think we better go."

"What?" Terna cried. "We can't just leave them all here to die!"

"Our fates do not rest with the Thals, Terna," I retorted sharply. "We have ourselves to worry about."

"Time Lord, you cannot ask me to simply walk away." I was startled by the barely masked anguish I detected in Terna's voice. "I have a chance to avenge my people, and you expect me to just drop that and leave?"

"Terna, be reasonable…"

"Do not speak to me of reason," Terna cried. "I remember…The Daleks forced us to retreat, they destroyed our planet and left us to the Wastes at the edge of reality. Somehow, I escaped and crashed into the TARDIS"

"Then you ought not to risk your life when you got so lucky the first time. Now come along," I declared.  
As I spoke, I headed off towards where we'd parked the TARDIS. Obediently, Susan followed close behind me.

At first, Ian and Barbara lingered. They watched as a few of the male Thals brought Temmosus's body forward.  
The air was soon alive with the sounds of weeping as they heaved the body towards a collection of ash they'd gathered together. As the Thals laid the body of their fallen leader upon the pyre, the two humans exchanged a glance.

"Perhaps its best to leave well enough alone," Ian reluctantly stated. "It would seem pacifism has become a survival instinct for the Thals."

"Yes, all those centuries of fighting…I suppose it's understandable," Barbara mused. "Well, then let us get back to the ship and get as far away from here as possible."

Good woman, I always knew she was the one with more sense.

I smiled to myself as I fiddled with the lock on the TARDIS. It was about time we'd left, even if the reason we'd lingered in the first place was because of my curiosity. Not that I was about to bring that up.

"Alright," I announced, thrusting the door open. "Chesterton, would you hand me the fluid link? You had it last."

Behind me, Ian froze. "Fluid link…" He swallowed hard.

"Yes, the one we went into the city to fill with mercury even though it didn't really need it," I exclaimed, my patience thinning. "Come now, dear boy; I can't start the ship without it," I declared.

"I…I don't…" Ian's voice trailed off.

Susan paled. "You lost it!"

"Oh, Ian, you can't have," Barbara cried.

"No, the Daleks took it from me," Ian asserted. "When they searched us…The link is down in the city somewhere."

Oh, how things come full circle.  
There's some irony in this somewhere, but I'm far too distressed at the moment to figure out where exactly.  
The fluid link, the central key to the TARDIS engine, is stranded down in the middle of a city full of murderous Daleks, and all we got is a bunch of pretty pacifists to show for it.

How could things possibly get any worse?

"Hey, maybe Terna can call it back," Susan suddenly piped up. "She did it with her magnifying glass. Terna, do you think you could…Terna?"

Susan glanced around, as did the other two, but Terna did not respond.

Worse, oh much worse. I should have noticed; the woman is never that quiet for so long….

Terna was gone.

()()()

My heart pounded in my head as I sprinted full force along the forest floor; the grey trees loomed around me on all sides.  
I moved as quietly and as quickly as possible, trying to retain my frantic breathing.

My eyes scanned the surrounding forest scape. There! I spotted the rock with _Gamma_ carved in the side.

My pace never slackening, I changed direction and skidded around the rock and further into the denser parts of the forest.  
The branches stretched out into the path, reaching and clawing at me like long, spindly arms. They snagged at my dress and hair, slackening my procession, and I was forced to rip and tug them forcefully from my body as I stumbled about, half blind in the waning light.

At one point, my sight left me completely, so dense was the jungle, and the shadowed darkness of the trees closed in around me, like a blanket suddenly being thrown over my head.  
Dazed and disoriented, I stumbled and tripped, falling on my face in the dirt. I sat up with a groan, spitting ash from my mouth.  
I would not stop.

I quickly staggered back to my feet. Alydon said that the marsh was just a few yards beyond the _Gyrum_, and beyond that was the entrance to the city.

Barely pausing to draw breath, I took off towards the city and the Daleks within it.  
If the Doctor and the others wouldn't stay and fight, than I certainly would. I wasn't going to run from the Daleks. Not this time.

* * *

Translation:

Gamma- in science it is used to represent light

Gyrum- Latin for 'vault'

Anima- I forgot to mention this earlier, but Anima means 'soul' in Latin

* * *

A/N: Another cliff hanger, sorry. And I promise the Dalek Arc will be concluded in the next chapter. Also, we shall learn a little more about Terna's past. Stay tuned…


	10. The Mutants- The Ordeal

Chapter 10: The Mutants- The Ordeal

* * *

In the pale light of a coming dawn, two Daleks stood before the massive computer in a lonely room at the top of their city's main structure. One of the Daleks was the normal shade of neutral grey, while the other was deep black, signifying he was the leader of the whole operation.

"Have. The. Drugs. Been. Duplicated?" the Leader Dalek asked his subordinate.

"Affirmative," the second Dalek replied.

"And. The. Results?" the Leader inquired.

"All. Daleks. Who. Have. Been. Administered. The. Anti-Radiation. Drugs. Of. The. Thal. People. Have. Died," the second Dalek declared.

"As. Expected." The Leader Dalek mused. "The. Thals. Need. This. Drug. To. Survive. To. Us. It. Is. Poison."

"They. Cannot. Survive. In. The. Radiation. We. Can," his subordinate added. "We. Need. The. Radiation. To. Live."

"Yes. And. The. Thals. Hold. This. Poison. With. Them. Outside. The. City," the Leader Dalek continued. "There. Is. Little. Doubt. They. Aided. The. Prisoners. In. Their. Escape. And. Now. They. Have. Allied. Themselves."

"Do. You. Think. They. Will. Attack?" the second Dalek inquired.

"It. Is. Likely," the Leader confirmed.

"The. Thals. Hold. A. Device. That. Can. Destroy. Us," the second Dalek continued. "They. Must. Not. Be. Allowed. To. Live."

"Affirmative," the Leader Dalek agreed. "They. Shall. All. Be. Exterminated."

"The. Daleks. Have. Been. Conditioned. For. Radiation. We. Need. It. To. Survive. And. We. Need. The. Thals. To. Die," the second Dalek added.

"There. Is. One. Way. We. Can. Do. Both," the Leader Dalek declared.

"How?"

"We. Shall. Detonate. Another. Neutron. Bomb."

()()()

"….No, and that is my final word," Alydon declared, his voice firm and imposing as he turned from Ian, who had once again attempted to convince him to do something about the looming Dalek threat, and stalked back over to the rest of the Thal people, who were all huddled around the camp in small, worried groups.

Ian sighed in dismay as he headed back to the edge of the clearing where Barbara was sitting under a tree, and the Doctor was messing around inside the TARDIS; the door to the machine was open, and its milky light spilled out into the growing darkness of the forest.

"Any luck?" Barbara inquired as Ian collapsed down beside her.

"No, and I've tried everything I know," Ian replied dejectedly. The two humans looked up when they heard the branches above their heads shaking.

"Be careful up there, Susan," Barbara called to the young Time Lady, who was perched like a bird amongst the bare branches.

"It's alright, Ms. Wright. I'm quite safe," Susan called back.  
"What's she doing up there anyways?" Ian inquired of Barbara.

"She's looking for Terna. She's been worried sick about her all evening," Barbara replied, her voice grim.

"She won't have much luck in this light," Ian declared, "and Terna's been gone for hours; she's probably to the city by now."

"I doubt it," Barbara replied. "I was talking with Ganatus, a friend of Alydon's, who said that to travel to the city through the swamp would take at least a day and a half as there's a craggy rock face you have to scale after the forest ends."

"What was Terna thinking?" Ian exclaimed. "Was she planning to take down a whole city full of Daleks by herself?"

"Her hatred of them must be greater than we thought," Barbara mused. "She did say her people were destroyed by them during some war, and you should have seen it Ian. When she went to the_ Gyrum_, that place I told you about, and Terna absorbed all that energy to regain her memories, the look in her eyes; it was impossible to describe."

"I just wish she hadn't behaved so rashly," Ian grumbled. "If only we could convince the Thals to help us, but they just won't risk conflict with the Daleks, despite all my best efforts. And besides, I can't go too far…"

"What do you mean?" Barbara asked.

"Well, why_ should_ they help us?" Ian demanded. "After all, some of them are bound to get killed. How can you ask someone to die for you like that?"

"Yes, but Ian, we'll be prisoners here if we don't find a way to get into the city and retrieve the fluid link," Barbara insisted.

"I am quite well aware of that, Barbara," Ian spat.

"Yes, and you're also aware that the Daleks almost certainly _will _find a way out of their city, and when they do they will find us and kill us all."

"I just can't ask the Thals to sacrifice themselves for us, Barbara," Ian insisted. "I just can't."

"I know, Ian, but what are we_ supposed_ to do?" Barbara cried.

At that moment, Susan hopped down from the lower hanging branches, alighting on the ground as nimble as a cat.

"Any luck, Grandfather?" she asked the Doctor as he exited the TARDIS at the same time, his face lined with worry.

"Hmm?" the Doctor glanced up, seemingly distracted.

"Did you manage to find the parts to build another link?" Susan asked.

"No," the Doctor sighed dejectedly. "I looked through all my spare parts, but there is nothing compatible, and not a drop of extra mercury to be seen. Turns out we really did need a new supply."  
He stopped when he saw Barbara and Ian glaring at him. "It has put us in a bit of a jam," the Doctor continued, shifting uncomfortably. "I must get that fluid link back again. It would seem my little trick has rebounded on me. What you might call 'tempting providence'," he added to Ian.

Ian sighed heavily. "I suppose there's no point in worrying about that now. What's done is done."

The Doctor smiled slightly. "Yes, and at least you're not vindictive, Chesserman."

Ian scowled. "Well, I _will _be if you don't get my name right."

"Hmm?" the Doctor asked.

"It's _Chesterton_."

"Oh, right. I knew that," the Doctor replied, waving his hand dismissively.

Barbara rolled her eyes. "How can you two just sit there chatting at a time like this?"

"My dear girl it's not as though I've been sitting here doing nothing," the Doctor asserted. "But it has become quite clear that we have no other options but to try and retrieve the fluid link from the city."

"Grandfather, what about Terna?" Susan inquired.

"Well, if she hasn't already died in the swamps, she's bound to be shot down by Daleks as soon as she enters the city," the Doctor declared, much to Susan's horror.  
"I can't believe that woman," he continued, "and I actually took her for a somewhat intelligent creature. Serves her right if she gets killed for behaving so rashly."

"Oh, but we're not just going to abandon her, are we?" Susan cried.

"She made her choice, Susan," the Doctor replied. "And quite frankly, we're better off without her if you ask me. She was nothing but a burden."

"Now, hold on a minute. She saved your life," Ian asserted. "Twice!"

"She saved all our lives," Barbara added, "Risking her own in the process; if she hadn't distilled the radiation sickness, none of us would be here right now. I agree with Susan, we shouldn't just abandon her."

"Well, what do you propose we do then?" the Doctor demanded.

"Well, we need to get into the city anyways," Ian reminded him. "Perhaps we can find her when we do and try to talk some sense into her."

"Yeah, and maybe we could get to her before she even reaches the city," Susan added. "If we go the same way that she went, we might catch up to her."

"Yes, but you all realize that we cannot succeed against the Daleks alone?" the Doctor reminded them.

"Of course," Barbara replied indignantly.

"We have a ready-made army here," the Doctor continued. "The Thals: they're strong, and they have one great advantage against the Daleks: they can move so much more quickly."

"They also have a great _dis_advantage," Ian added, "No arms or ammunition."

"They have spears," Susan offered.

"Well, that's alright, young man," the Doctor replied, brushing the matter aside with a wave of his hand. "The mind will always triumph. With me to lead them, the Thals are bound to succeed."

"But, Grandfather," Susan interjected. "We've been talking and arguing about this all evening; the Thals won't fight. They are against war."

"My dear child, this is no time for morals. They _must_ fight for us if we are to succeed."

"But why?" Ian demanded.

The Doctor glared at him. "My dear young man, I hope you are not going to be difficult."

"The Doctor's right, Ian," Barbara added. "If we could get the Thals to attack the city, we could beat the Daleks, retrieve the link, and hopefully find Terna."

"It's just common sense," the Doctor turned to Barbara," Young lady, I have been underestimating you."

"I will not allow you to use the Thals to fight our battles," Ian declared, putting his foot done on the matter between him and the Doctor.

The Doctor's expression darkened. "Young man, are you challenging me?" he demanded

"Yes, I am," Ian replied defiantly.

"Do I have a say in this?" Barbara demanded, getting between the two men.

"Yes, you do," Ian said to her.

"Well, then I say the Doctor's right, and I want to get out of here."

Ian looked at her, his expression pained. "Barbara, we can't do this; I won't have people's deaths on my conscience."

"Except mine, Susan's, the Doctor's, and possibly even Terna's?" Barbara demanded.

"Quite so," the Doctor agreed

Ian closed his eyes and shook his head. "The only way the Thals can fight is if they themselves want to; it must have nothing whatsoever to do with us."

"I get what you mean," Susan exclaimed. "We must help the Thals to save _themselves_ and not just us."

"Exactly," Ian commended.

"All you're doing is playing with words," Barbara observed.

"Enough of this," the Doctor declared. "This is a time for action, not arguing."

"Listen, you," Ian rounded on the Doctor. "What victory are you going to show these people when most of them have been killed? A fluid link? Is that what you're going to hold up to them and say, 'Thank you very much. This is what you fought and died for'?"

"Can the Thals even still fight?" Susan wondered aloud. "They have been adamantly against it for so long after all."

"Well, that's something we need to find out," Ian agreed. "Are they cowards or are they just refusing to fight out of principle?"

"How _can_ we find out?" Barbara inquired.

Ian thought for a moment. "I've got an idea," he suddenly declared, stepping around Barbara and the Doctor and over to the large chest containing the remnants of Thal history. "Whatever I do, don't interfere; I'm not even certain this will work," he added over his shoulder.

Barbara, the Doctor, and Susan all exchanged a glance.  
"Strange young man," the Doctor mused.

"He's right though," Susan added. "About the Thals not fighting for us, but fighting for themselves."

"Yes, I suppose," the Doctor admitted.

As they spoke, Ian was talking with Alydon and some of the other male Thals. From their spot on the clearing edge, the other three could only hear snippets of the conversation: "…To have self- respect. At this moment, anyone could come in here. They could rob; they could steal," Ian stated.

"Let's see what he's up to," the Doctor suggested as he and the two girls joined the crowd that was steadily growing around Ian and Alydon.

"…They could even kill you," Ian continued, "And you wouldn't life a finger to help yourselves?"

"We will not fight," Alydon declared. "There will be no more wars. Look at our planet. This was once a great world, full of ideas and art and invention. In one day it was destroyed, and you will never find one good reason why we should ever begin destroying everything again. I'm sorry."

"You're not sorry," Ian asserted, his grip tightening on the heavy chest of Thal history balanced in his arms. "You stand here, mumbling a lot of words out of your history. But it means nothing, nothing at all. You carry this around with you: your history records,"  
As he spoke, Ian slammed down the chest at Alydon's feet. "Well, it must be valuable to you. Supposing I take it down to the city and try and trade with the Daleks? Perhaps they'd think it valuable enough to exchange for our fluid link!"

Alydon didn't blink; he regarded Ian with cold, steady eyes. "I don't believe you'll do it."

"You wanna bet?" Ian asserted.

Alydon took a deep breath. "None of us would stop you."

"Really?" Ian scoffed. "You'd let me take away all the histories you hold so dear and give them to your greatest enemies? You do realize if we don't get the fluid link back, the four of us will die, not to mention Terna. However," Ian glanced around at the crowd, all looking at him in bewilderment. "Perhaps the Daleks are more interested in people."  
He turned slowly on the spot, closely examining each of the Thals. "Perhaps the Daleks were only holding us to experiment on us. Perhaps I should take them a replacement?"

With that, he snatched Dyoni's hand and started to drag her towards the edge of the clearing.

"Alydon!" Dyoni shrieked, struggling in Ian's grip.

Alydon moved like lighting, one minute he was standing still, cool and collected, the next he was punching Ian hard in the jaw.

"Ian!" Barbara cried as he hit the ground.

An aura of shock reverberated around the clearing as Ian staggered to his feet, massaging the spot on his face where Alydon had struck him.  
His eyes fixed on the Thal leader, who regarded the human with barely contained anger. As he did so, Alydon's hand tightened around the trembling Dyoni's shoulders.  
Ian smiled grimly. "So there is something you'll fight for."

()()()

Night fell over the ravaged world that Skaro had become, tossing a blanket of soft darkness over the eerie scape. In the clearing, the inhabitants of the Thal camp fell into an uneasy sleep, often restlessly awakening to discuss and plan in hushed huddles off in the remote corners of the clearing.

Barbara, for one, found sleep unbearable; she couldn't stand the silence: the chilling emptiness of the world. It was bad enough to be trapped in a dark forest on earth when one is surrounded by noisy wildlife, but the quiet of the barren landscape was infinitely more disconcerting.

She sat huddled on the ground beside the TARDIS, shivering slightly as she pulled her cardigan tightly around herself, trying to keep out the chill and the prickling feeling that she was somehow being watched.

On the opposite end of the clearing, Barbara spotted Alydon standing off on his own, his pale hair seemed to almost glow in the milky moonlight; his back was to Barbara, so she couldn't see his expression.  
A moment passed before Dyoni suddenly exited her lean-to and silently slipped around the sleeping Thals towards Alydon.  
She had been very quiet since the incident with Alydon punching Ian a few hours previously.

"You're not asleep?" Dyoni whispered once she'd reached Alydon.

"Presently," he replied coldly.

"Are you angry with yourself for striking that man?" Dyoni inquired.

"No, I knew he was trying to make me do it." Alydon turned towards Dyoni, and Barbara could see the distress in his pale eyes. "But I couldn't stop myself. Do you despise me for hitting him?"

Dyoni placed a hand on Alydon's shoulder. "If you hadn't fought him, I think I would have hated you," she admitted.

"I knew he wouldn't really take you and give you to the Daleks," Alydon continued, "But I fought him. Oh, I wish Temmosus were here. What would he have said, Dyoni? Which is more important? To fight and live, or to die without fighting?"

Dyoni pursed her lips and didn't respond.

"Can't sleep?" Barbara glanced up to see Alydon's friend Ganatus standing over her. He looked like that of the other Thals: fair and handsome, but he held a kind of youth to his figure and a boyish nature to his face that made him less intimidating then someone like Alydon.

Barbara sighed. "I don't think anyone's doing much sleeping tonight," she observed.

"Alydon's worried. Can you blame him?" Ganatus replied, settling down beside Barbara and leaning against the tree.

"What will happen now?" the human woman inquired.

Ganatus shook his head. "I don't know. We always do what the leader of our race decides for us, but he never decides anything without our full approval."

"And if Alydon decides not to help us?" Barbara whispered.

Ganatus looked at her; his blue eyes almost seemed to glow in the darkness. "Well, we'll have to wait until the morning, won't we?"

Barbara nodded solemnly as she gazed up into the night sky; Skaro's moon seemed a lot closer to its planet than Earth's moon, so it bathed everything in a stark white light, the paleness of the landscape making it almost too brilliant to look at. Light seeped out from between the shadows the skeleton trees cast.  
"What's that light?" Barbara inquired of Ganatus. "It's not from the city is it?"

"No, the lake in the swamp," Ganatus explained. "Some sort of chemical in it that makes it glow in the moonlight."

"Terna's out there somewhere," Barbara mused as she gazed out at the eerie light. "At least she has a light to guide her."

"Your friend is either very brave or very stupid to travel into the swamps alone," Ganatus mused. "We always go with a party of at least four, if at all."

"You've been down there?" Barbara asked.

"Yes," Ganatus nodded gravely. "There's horror down there in the swamp. Five of us went there in search of food, and only my brother and I came back."

Barbara was horrified. "What happened to the others?"

"Well, we found what was left of one of them," Ganatus explained grimly. "The swamp is alive with mutations, bred and cross-bred until the original organism is all but lost." He paused, "I'm sorry; I'm being morbid."

"Oh, I don't mind," Barbara replied simply. "We're a good distance away after all; I just hope Terna is alright."

"You're worried for your friend," Ganatus observed.

"Well, she isn't really my friend," Barbara admitted. "I hardly know her at all; she's a mystery really, just sort of turned up in the TAR-our ship-with Susan and the Doctor. I don't know who or _what_ she is. She can be really terrible sometimes, but other times she can be kind. She saved our lives after all."

"Terna must have her reasons for venturing into the swamp alone. We may not know why, but I believe she would not have entered the swamp unless she knew she'd survive."

Barbara nodded solemnly. "Yes, I suppose you're right."

()()()

As night spread its influence across the barren landscape, Terna trekked through the shadows, the vapor of the marshland curling around her ankles as she waded through the knee deep water.

The black mud caked her sandaled feet and clung to the hem of her dress, weighing it down as she attempted to lift it out of the muck's reach.  
The air was thick with moisture and Terna breathed heavily, her skin coated in a layer of sweat.

She paused to lean against a tree, stepping idly over the craggy stone path that snaked through the foul-smelling waters. The air tasted sour as she attempted to catch her breath, the toxic fumes setting the swamps on fire, thin films of colorful light loomed out of the darkness like distant car headlights as they drifted on the stagnant waters.

Terna felt uneasy as she shoved herself off the tree and gazed around. It was quiet, and it was the silence that disturbed her. No cries of animals, nothing shuffling in the shadows, no light from city that lay in the distance.

The city…full of Daleks.

Terna' anger reignited inside her chest, far brighter than the glow of the silent swamp.  
She surged forward once more, stumbling slightly on a fallen root and coating her sandals in a fresh layer of mud.

Up ahead was a wider stretch of marsh water. Barely missing a beat, Terna leapt across a series of conveniently placed rocks and was about halfway across when a low rumbling sound made her freeze on the spot.

The Lyall's heart stood still as she teetered awkwardly on one of the partially submerged stones; her head whipped from left to right, trying to detect the origin of the noise as it once again ripped through the silence.

But Terna could see nothing aside from the toxic light of the swamp.  
Suddenly, a long, slimy hand reached out of the glowing waters and latched onto her ankle. Terna shrieked and flailed her arms, almost toppling off her feet and into the water.

She managed to regain her footing on a second stepping stone, but it was short lived as the creature attempted to pull her into the water.

Terna reacted instinctively, snatching the magnifying glass from her pocket and holding it aloft. A blinding yellow light suddenly consumed the object.

In a flash of vibrant color, the magnifying glass was gone and was replaced by a large, ornate sword with a hilt carved like that of a wolf's head; Terna didn't hesitate to slice straight through the hand that grasped at her leg.

The creature shrieked as it quickly retreated back into the water's depths. Terna staggered backward and collapsed on the opposite bank of the water stretch; the swamp had resorted back to the eerie quiet and stillness as before.

She took a deep breath, attempting to slow her frantically beating heart as she looked down at the sword in her hand; it was pure gold and seemed to glow faintly with the same kind of yellow light.

Despite Terna having been born Lucent, a small fragment of Opaque Anima still existed in the depths of her soul, as it did in all Lucent Lyall. It was called the Maelstrom, and it was the darkest and greatest fear of all Lucent Lyall.

Although this did not mean the Lucent did not use the Maelstrom; the energy was often used in battle when it was filtered into seemingly arbitrary objects and then the Lyall in question used its Opaque energies to shape the object into whatever they desired at the moment, anything they could hold in their hands in a process called Transmutation.

These weapons were used by the Lyall's strongest warriors and were nicknamed 'Claws' because they were considered an extension of their wielder's arm.  
Terna decided that she had unwittingly transformed the magnifying glass she'd picked up in the TARDIS into her Claw. It explained why she felt so attached to it, why she was able to call it back to her side with the boost of energy the_ Gyrum _had given her, and it was also why she had been able to cut open the door Barbara had been trapped behind.

Of course, that had only been a partial Transmutation at the time.  
Turning the magnifying glass into a sword was a full Transmutation, and Terna was fortunate the power of the Gyrum had strengthened her enough to perform it.

With a slight smile, she gripped the sword tightly in her hand before hopping across another water stretch and alighting lightly on the opposite bank. She paused to glance back and make sure that no other creatures were lurking in the shadows, whether they be monster or otherwise.

The Lyall Queen was certain the Daleks couldn't exit their city but that didn't count for the Thals following her or whatever other kind of mutant that may have spawned on the planet.

Terna shivered at the thought as she clasped her sword tightly and started off down a craggy sort of path cutting through the iridescent marsh grass as it glowed with radiation.

However, it was not bright enough, and she stumbled slightly, grabbing hold of a gnarled tree jutting out into the path to steady herself. Once she'd regained her bearings, Terna withdrew her hand from the tree and found it to be covered in deep black ash.

Brushing her palm against the tree trunk, she found the tree wasn't as firm as some of the others were.

Terna glanced down at her sword, an idea coming to her.

()()()

Morning finally came to the clearing and, in the grey light of early dawn, Alydon approached Ian, having had the night to mull over his proposition.  
The Thal leader fixed the human man with a cold, steady stare. "I have one question to ask you," he declared. "If we do not help you, what will you do?"

"We'll find a way into the city, find our companion, and take back our lost equipment," Ian replied simply.

"I have thought much about the events that have transpired, and what we must do about them." Alydon now turned to address the crowd, "The Daleks are a threat to us; their intentions were made quite clear when they killed Temmosus. Regardless of our past beliefs, we cannot simply let these people die; it would be no different than if we had killed them ourselves."

The other Thals in the crowd nodded in apparent agreement.  
"Well, the way I have reasoned is this," Alydon continued, "The Daleks are strong, and they hate us. I am sure they will find a way to come out of their city and kill us. So it is not merely a question of whether we go off in a vain search for food and in all probability starve to death; we face death now."

He gestured in the direction of the rocky cliffs and the Dalek City below. "In the city is enough food for all of us and all of the Daleks, a hundred times over. My conclusion is this: there is no indignity in being afraid to die. But there is a terrible shame in being afraid to live. If none of you agree with my reasons, then let me go with these people, and I will help you elect a new chief."

There was a pressing silence as Ian and the other time travelers awaited the Thals' response.  
Beside Barbara, Ganatus got to his feet. "I'll go with you, Alydon," he declared.

"And I" added a second Thal.

"Let's start at once!" continued a third, soon followed by more shouts of approval from the crowd.

"I will go as well," Ganatus's younger brother Antodus, who looked no older than fifteen, added.

Barbara and Susan both grinned, and the Doctor nodded his approval.  
Ian turned to Alydon. "Thank you."

They were mobilized in a few minutes; Ganatus collected a map from the chest and spread it out on the ground in the middle of the clearing.  
The Doctor was delighted. "If we get this kind of intelligent anticipation then we shall succeed. Now, what is this area here?" he gestured to a point on the map close to their current location.

"The swamp," Ganatus explained. "Here are the mountains," he pointed to a stretch of terrain between the swamp and the city. "The swamp is inhabited by horrible creatures."

"Can we get to the city this way?" Ian asked, referring to another point on the map.

Alydon arched an eyebrow. "Over the mountains?"

Ganatus hesitated. "Yes," he finally said, "but it means going through the swamp."

"We can't do that; it's too dangerous," Alydon declared.

"Yes, but I realized last night, when I was talking to Barbara that it is undefended," Ganatus stated.

"Undefended?" Alydon exclaimed. "It's a natural barrier, all of those creatures…You know that, Ganatus."

"Yes, I know. What I mean is that the Daleks won't have guards there," Ganatus explained. "That side of the city will be wide open, and we may be able to take them by surprise. I don't like it either," Ganatus added when he saw Alydon's worried expression, "But it's our best possible chance."

"Terna went through the swamp, didn't she?" Susan piped up.

"Yes, and if she hasn't already been killed, she'll be scaling the mountain range on the north end of the city by now."

"We won't be able to intercept her then," the Doctor mused. "She's got a good twelve hour head start. How long does it take to trek through the swamp and cover the mountains?" he asked Ganatus.

"About a day and a half," the young Thal replied.

"Right. Well, I suggest we split into two groups," the Doctor declared. "One goes to distract the Daleks on the south wall closest to our encampment, while the other group goes through the mountains to enter the city on the north side."

Ian nodded. "Yes, I think that's the best plan."

"Good. Then are we all agreed?" the Doctor glanced at the others, who all nodded.

Alydon's expression was grim. "Then that is what we must do."

()()()

The groups were as such: Ian and Barbara would be led by Ganatus, his brother Antodus, and some other Thals through the swamp and across the mountain range while Alydon, the Doctor, Susan, and the remainder of the tribe would stay behind to create a distraction at the south wall.

As late afternoon rose above the clearing, the first group said their goodbyes and set off in the direction of the swamp.

Ganatus and Antodus lead the way, both talking in hushed, frantic whispers.  
"We'll never get through," Antodus proclaimed.

"Yes we will," his older brother asserted.

"What makes you think it will be any different from the last time?" his brother demanded.

"At least we know what to expect."

"But the others don't."

"We promised Alydon we'd find a way through the mountains, so that's what we are going to do," Ganatus declared.

Antodus regarded his brother darkly. "You'd never have gotten the others to follow you if you'd told them what happened last time: how we watched Amezus dragged beneath the waters of the lake while you and I ran in terror when-"

"That's enough," Ganatus cut his younger brother off. "We go on, Antodus. You keep your fears to yourself; I don't want you upsetting the others. Is that clear?"

The younger Thal dropped his eyes. "Yes," he murmured.

"Is that _clear_?" Ganatus repeated.

"Yes," Antodus replied a little louder before retreating back to the end of the procession just as the tree line thinned, and the swamp loomed ahead of them.

"Well, this is the swamp," Ganatus said to Ian. "From now on, it's going to be rather uncomfortable."

"Yes, I see what you mean." Ian nodded as he surveyed the moist, slimy and uneven terrain that lay before them.

"The ground is very uneven," Ganatus continued, "Sometimes rock, sometimes thick mud. You'll have to watch your step. However, the sky grows dark; I believe it would be best to set up camp for the night."

"Good idea," Ian grimaced as he glanced up at the waning light slicing through the dark branches. "I don't like to think of being caught in that swamp in the dark."

"I will send some men to scout the perimeter for a dry spot," Ganatus added.

Ian nodded. "Alright, I'll go see how Barbara's doing."

The Thal man smiled as the human turned from him. "I'm surprised you let her come."

Ian laughed. "I couldn't have stopped her."

He then moved over towards the rest of the group where Barbara was sitting against a tree; she had swapped her pencil skirt and heels for a pair of black leather pants and Thal sandals. She was adjusting the strap of one as Ian approached her.

"How are you doing?" he inquired.

"Alright," Barbara replied with a shrug. "Although, I don't like the look of that swamp," she added, glancing up at the marshlands as she spoke, already pinpricks of light from the radioactive waters were beginning to bleed through the growing darkness.

"We're going to make camp for the night," Ian explained. "We don't want to risk heading in there in the dark."

"Good thinking," Barbara mused; her lips pursed as she watched the swamp. "I wonder if Terna's alright."

"If she's still alive, she may have made it to the city by now," Ian stated.

Barbara went white. "Oh, I hope she's still alive. What if we come across her body in the swamp, Ian?"

"I doubt that will happen," Ian reassured her. "I am almost fairly certain that Terna made it out of the swamp. She's tough, Terna, you know for her age and all that. I'm sure she's fine."

"Susan would never forgive us if we returned without her," Barbara continued. "She's rather fond of Terna."

"Can't see why," Ian grumbled. "She seems rather cold to me."

"She did save all of our lives," Barbara reminded him. "I suppose, despite her arrogance, she does care in some way."

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Hey! Over here!" Barbara and Ian both turned to see Antodus standing by the swamp edge; he was holding two objects aloft in his fist.

"What is it?" Ian asked as he and Barbara rushed over along with the others.

Antodus held them out so he could see them clearly.

Barbara gasped. "It's Terna's sandals!"

"She probably took them off so she'd be able to get through the swamp more easily," Ian reassured her just as Ganatus approached them.

"Some of the men have found a dry clearing a short ways east," he announced

"Alright, I'll get some firewood," Ian declared. "Barbara, why don't you see to dinner?"

Barbara, who was clutching Terna's mud-splattered shoes, nodded.

The group ate in relative silence, most were too exhausted or hungry for conversation.  
As the night thickened around them, the light from the fire became the only comfort; the lamp-like glow of the infected swamp water looked like the eyes of ghosts looming at them out of the shadows and the cries and shuffles of creatures moving about in the brush left the Thals and the two humans feeling as though they were perpetually surrounded by malevolent forces.

No one thought of sleep, despite the late hour, and the group became exceedingly antsy, especially Ian.  
At one point, he got up from the circle around the campfire and stole off towards the edge of one of the water pools. He knelt down and splashed some of the cleaner water against his face, trying to wipe off the grime and sweat from the day's exertion and agitation.

Something flashed out of the corner of his eye; Ian whipped his head towards the water just in time to see a huge, bulky shape slink back below the surface, hovering just beneath the water with a pair of giant lamp-like eyes looming out of the shadowed waters.

Ian cried out and bolted back to the camp.  
"What is it?" Ganatus demanded as he and the other Thals jumped to their feet.

"Did you see something?" Barbara asked.

"Yes," Ian replied breathlessly. "It was a…." his voice trailed off. He didn't know what it was that he'd seen; he didn't want to know.

Ganatus nodded grimly. "Kristas" he turned to a brawny Thal standing to his left. "Stand guard at the water's edge just in case." The Thal called Kristas nodded mutely.

"I'll take the first watch," Ganatus added.

"No, let me," Ian asserted. "I'm alright, really."

"I'm sure you are, but you Earth people should get as much sleep as possible. We Thals are used to an irregular life."

Ian looked like he was about to protest, but then relented. "Wake me in a few hours," he muttered before moving closer to the fire and hunkering down beside Barbara

The swamp screamed all around them.

()()()

"Time to move, my friend," where the first words Ian heard as he was roughly pulled from a restless sleep. He sat up, groggy, and looked at Ganatus.

"You let me sleep," he observed.

The Thal smiled slightly. "Yes."

At that moment, a Thal known as Elyon, who looked even younger than Antodus, rushed over to Ganatus and Ian. "Come and see what we found by the lake," he said to them.

As Ganatus rose to his feet, Ian nudged Barbara awake. "Morning," he said with a grim smile as she sat up, blinking rapidly in the pale light.

"Morning." Barbara stretched with a groan, "Oh what I'd give for a feather pillow and a spring mattress.

"Some of the Thals have found something," Ian told her. "Ganatus went to go see. I'll be right back."

He then followed Ganatus and Elyon to the water's edge where they were observing what appeared to be a large piping system half hidden in the marsh grasses. It grew out of the water like a giant weed and snaked off into the cover of the shadowed forest.

"Looks like the Daleks are getting their water from the swamp," Ian observed.

"But how would it get to the city from the lake?" Ganatus inquired.

"The Daleks aren't very mobile; they probably utilized the pipeline," Ian explained, gesturing to the winding system as it vanished into the brush.

"It must go on for miles," Ganatus mused.

"How long will it take us to reach the city?" Elyon inquired.

"Most of the day," Ganatus replied. "We can't risk going directly through the marshlands, the lakes are full of mutations."

"It would take too long to build a raft too," Ian added.

"So, we go around," Elyon stated.

"Yes, and let's get moving so we can be out of this marsh before the sun goes down," Ian added.

Elyon nodded. "I'll go fill up the water bags," he announced before hurrying over to the bank.

When Ian and Ganatus returned to the campfire, the Thals were breaking camp, and Barbara was serving everyone a hot drink that tasted like a water-downed version of coffee.

"We saw some pipes heading towards the city," Ian explained to Barbara. "Thanks," he added when she handed him a drink.

"Do you think we could get through?" Barbara inquired.

"If we follow the pipeline, it will take us around the really bad spots," Ian replied, taking a sip of his drink and gagging slightly. "Seems our luck's finally turning," he added.

"Where's Elyon?" Barbara inquired.

"He went to go fill the water bags," Ganatus replied.

Then everyone heard a scream.

"Elyon!" Antodus jumped up from the group and broke towards the edge of the swamp; his brother close behind.

"Stay here," Ian said to Barbara and the others as he followed the two brothers towards the water's edge.

There was nothing there but a few half-filled water bags drifting like fallen leaves in the bog; the black water churned as did Ian's stomach when he thought of what might have happened to Elyon.

The poor boy; he couldn't have been older than fourteen.

"What's happened?" Barbara rushed up beside them. "Did Elyon fall in?"

"Yes." Ganatus expression's was grave while Antodus looked positively distraught; looking as though he had half a mind to dive in after his friend, but he knew it was pointless.  
"It must have happened quickly," Ganatus mused. "Come on. There's nothing we can do for him now." He placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder in an attempt to console him as the others all looked on gravely.

Ian nodded sadly.

"Ian, look!" Barbara suddenly cried. He jerked his head in the direction she was pointing to see a large gnarled tree growing close to the water's edge. Its stone trunk was chalky and soft, eroded away by the marsh waters.  
Crudely carved into the side of the trunk were four words:

_Do Not Follow Me_

()()()

A lonely wind battered against the walls of the Dalek City as Terna stood on the edge of the swamp.  
She'd walked the entirety of the previous day and well into the night, trying to put as much distance between herself and the others in the short time she knew she had before they realized her absence.

Terna paused to lean against a tree, her head fuzzy with exhaustion. Her bare feet were sore and coated in a thick layer of black mud which also caked the hem of her dress up to her thighs. Her hair was loose and tumbling out from its braid; Susan's pearls dangling like teardrops against the sides of her face.

Rubbing her bleary eyes, she glanced up at the great city looming ahead of her; the walls were very solid and at least twenty five feet high, insurmountable. Taking a deep breath, Terna removed her magnifying glass from her pocket and stared down at it.

As she did so, a yellow light consumed the object, burning with a brilliant intensity, burning with anger.

Blue the color of light, power, peace, and creation: the color of the Lucent, and yellow the color of destruction, chaos, and anger: the color of the Opaque.

That thought returning to her, Terna took a deep breath as she slowly raised her magnifying glass up to her face.  
Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the river of Anima flowing between her and the magnifying glass, creating a constant stream of raw power, power that was primitive and wild: the Maelstrom.

Terna focused on this power as she pictured what she desired in her mind; reopening her eyes, she saw the magnifying glass was gone; in its place was now a sleek wooden pole at least thirteen feet long, the only indication that the magnifying glass had ever been there was the faint film of yellow light lingering on the pole's surface.

Terna smiled to herself; it had worked. She had achieved full Transmutation of her new Claw.  
Now the hard part.

She gripped the pole tightly with both hands, breathing heavily as she attempted to steady herself, staggering slightly under the pole's weight.  
Cautiously, Terna leaned forward and, before she lost her nerve, took off running, leaving the safety of the tree line behind and heading straight towards the city wall.

Her mind racing as she sprinted forward, Terna gritted her teeth as she finally shoved the pole down into the ground with enough force to propel her body upwards.  
Curling her form over the lip of the wall, the Lyall twisted her body and dropped the pole just in time to be able to land safely on the other side of the wall. Terna straightened up, dusting herself off as she picked up her Claw, now once again a magnifying glass.

Wiping grime off the side of the object, Terna glanced around; the city was still smothered in the same eerie silence as when she had first entered it with the Doctor and the others. But she wouldn't let that deter her, nor would she stick to the shadows.  
Putting on a bold front, she held her head high as she marched down the center street of the Dalek City.  
She reached the main building without opposition; the Lyall Queen paused at the front door, glancing up at the blinking security camera mounted above the doorframe.  
She smiled, but it was without humor. "Hey, Daleks!" she called, spreading her arms wide. "Come and get me."

()()()

As the white sun of midmorning beat down its oppressive rays against the pale scape of the valley, the Doctor, Susan, Aldyon, and Dyoni crouched behind a cluster of rocks jutting out on the lip of the valley's edge, the ground sloping sharply downward before them to create a natural path into the Dalek City.

While Ganatus, Ian, Barbara, and the others had left to enter the city from behind, the remaining Thals and two Gallifreyans had been tasked with creating a diversion at the city's front entrance to ensure the other group would clear the walls unhindered.

Easier said than done.

"There seems to be four main roads jutting out from the main square," Susan, who was peering intently through a pair of binoculars, informed the others. "The roads go north, south, east, and west."

"We need to find the section with the main power ventilators," Alydon stated.

"Yes. Here, Susan, let me see." She quickly passed the Doctor the binoculars.

"Grandfather, get down!" Susan cried when the Doctor stood up in order to see the city more clearly, but at the risk of exposing himself without the cover of the rocks.

"Yes, yes, yes," the Doctor waved his hand dismissively as he crouched back down and turned to Aldyon. "Now, what we have to put out of action are the radio and television waves. They've obviously got complete coverage in and around the city."

"Do you think Terna's made it into the city, Grandfather?" Susan inquired.

"If she survived the swamp than it is very likely," Alydon stated.

"Foolish girl," the Doctor spat. "Once she crashes in there, the Daleks will suspect an attack, and we'll lose the element of surprise we so desperately need. What's worse, they may make a counterstrike before we are ready."

"Our main priority should still be knocking out the security cameras around the city wall," Alydon reminded him.

"Yes, yes," the Doctor nodded grimly as he gazed out at the city. "I just wish I knew what was going on down there."

()()()

A lone Dalek milled about the computer room; it suddenly snapped to attention when the door slid open and the black Leader Dalek entered.  
"The. Report. For. The. Neutron. Bomb. Is. Complete," the Subordinate Dalek declared.

"What. Is. It?" the Leader Dalek inquired.

"The. Neutron. Bomb. Will. Cover. Five. Hundred. Square. Miles," the Subordinate Dalek explained. "Time. For. Construction. Twenty. Three. Days."

"That. Is. Too. Long," the First Dalek stated.

"Then. We. Must. Find. Another. Way. To. Spread. The Radiation," the Subordinate Dalek declared.

At that moment, a ping on the computer indicated an incoming transmission.

Both Daleks turned in unison as a third Dalek came over the loudspeaker.  
"Intruder. Detected. At. Main. Entrance."

"Display." the Leader Dalek turned to the blank security scanners, and they blinked to life showing a blurry image of a woman in a muddy blue dress.

"It. Is. One. Of. The. Escaped. Prisoners," the Leader Dalek announced before turning to the second. "Send. A. Squad. To. Capture. Her."

"I. Obey," replied the second, pressing a button on the computer.

()()()

Terna's heart fluttered in her chest as the door to the city compound slowly slid open.  
It didn't take them long to find out she was here.

Gritting her teeth, she clenched her fists so hard her knuckles went white, trying to force down the fear that was bubbling up in her chest.

_Don't think_, that was what Rangi had told her. _Don't think. Just act. _

The first Dalek slid into view.

Terna gripped her magnifying glass just as the Dalek fired. She dove out of the way, feeling the heat of the blast as it whizzed past her ear and collided with the wall behind her.  
She rolled away from the resulting explosion as the metal plating splintered and steam burst out from the cracks, engulfing the entire area.

Jumping to her feet, Terna released her Opaque Anima out in a burst of golden energy and the magnifying glass was instantly replaced by a sword. The steam swirled around her, making the world seem white and wet.

Out of the murky air, she could just make out the gleam of the Dalek's eye stock, glowing faintly in the haze as it struggled to make out its surroundings. She rushed forward, using the steam as a barrier. The glowing eye loomed ahead of her: the perfect target.

Terna lunged forward and thrust the sword up to the hilt into the Dalek's eye. The creature let out a guttural scream that mixed with the shrill sounds of splintering glass and shattered frame work. Green mucus spilled from the puncture wound as the Dalek's light dimmed; the abomination inside writhing around its metal cage as it slowly died.

The Lyall yanked her sword out of the Dalek's depths and barely had time to wipe the green puss from the blade before two more Daleks appeared in the doorway. The steam continued to swirl around her, but the dry air was causing it to thin.

"Halt!" the Daleks cried. "Surrender!"

They fired their guns as Terna shoved the dead Dalek out in front of her like a shield. It toppled forward and knocked the Dalek on the right over, crushing the creature inside under the weight of the two canisters.  
The Dalek on the left was knocked out of control by the collision, which gave Terna ample time to slash it open as she ran past into the building. The dome-shaped lid toppled off the Dalek's stump body and more green slime oozed out between the cracks.

"Alert! Alert! Intruder. Is. Hostile!" Alarms blared all throughout the polished white walls. "Disarm. And. Apprehend. All. Dalek. Units. To. Main. Corridor."

Terna veered left, skidding slightly at the tight turn.  
"Halt!" Another singe of heat brushed past her face as a Dalek came out of a side door and fired at her. She pivoted and kicked her foot against the Dalek's solid base. The creature toppled back over the doorway, and Terna jammed her sword into the magnetic opening mechanism beside the doorframe.  
The door attempted to slide shut, splitting the Daleks in its way in half.

"Surrender! Surrender!" Terna whipped her head towards the end of the hall to see two more Daleks barreling towards her. She turned to yank her sword free from the control panel, but it was stuck.  
She yanked and pulled desperately, both hands clasped tightly around the hilt. Another blast and Terna twisted to the side just in time.

The Dalek missed its intended target but got her in the leg.  
The Lyall yelled in a mixture of frustration and pain as she felt all feeling leave her left leg. Adrenaline setting her remaining limbs on fire, she finally managed to wrench her weapon free from the control panel and took off down the hall, limping awkwardly with the two remaining Daleks not far behind.

They fired again and again, scorches and burns peppered the walls and floor as Terna ducked and dove out of the way to avoid them, staggering awkwardly on her one working leg.  
She needed to get out of the hall; scanning desperately from left to right, she found no side exits. She was trapped.

Up ahead, the hall branched off in three different directions. Terna pivoted her body sharply, trying to maneuver her paralyzed leg around the corner. She swung her arm outward as she did so and feeling suddenly filtered out of the limb as a second Dalek blast hit its mark.

Terna screamed in frustration as her arm went limp at her side, and she was forced to awkwardly drag her half-paralyzed body down the hall.

But she wouldn't stop. She couldn't stop. Not until all of the Daleks were dead.  
They rounded the corner behind her, joined by a second group converging in from the doorway across the open atrium; the heat of the blasters crackled through the air.

Terna heaved her useless limbs along like excess weight, stumbling slightly at every other step and, at one point, falling completely.  
She jammed her sword into the wall in an attempt to hoist herself back to her feet but another blast got her in the shoulder of her other arm. The Lyall screamed again as pain crackled through her like static, and she lost the use of another limb.

Sweat clinging to her forehead, Terna heaved herself to her feet just in time to see four more Daleks coming down the hall towards her, add them to the five Daleks already closing in behind her.

They were cutting her off.

"Surrender!" the head Dalek in front of her commanded.

"Never!" Terna screamed, pushing herself off the wall and lunging forward towards the head Dalek.  
Brandishing her sword, she sliced through the underbelly of the Dalek's round base, but the blade only cut halfway through before the Dalek fired its gun, and Terna was blasted backward, hit square in the chest. She collapsed onto her back, gasping and choking as her heart raced frantically against her numbing ribs.

"Surrender," the Dalek in front of her repeated as the other Daleks closed in around her.

Panting, Terna sat up and took another swipe at the closest Dalek behind her. He fired at her clenched fist, and the sword flew from her hand as all feeling left it, and the object smacked against the wall, reverting back to a magnifying glass as it clattered to the floor.

Gasping in pain and desperation, Terna rolled over onto her stomach and tried to shift herself into a sitting position, barely managing to crawl but a few inches.

"Exterminate!" the head Dalek declared as it fired its blaster directly at the Lyall's head.  
Terna crumpled to the floor and was finally still.

()()()

Deep in the rocky cliffs that rimmed the back walls of the Dalek City, Barbara and Ganatus wandered the narrow crevices, searching for a tunnel to cut through the cliffs.

"It's getting narrower," Ganatus observed.

"Oh, it's like all the other caves," Barbara exclaimed in frustration, "Just tails off into a dead end."

"There's a gloomy thought for you," Ganatus mused, his pale skin looked waxy in the flickering light of his torch.

"I wonder if Ian's doing any better," Barbara whispered.

"When did we arrange to meet with him and the others?" Ganatus inquired.

"Oh, we ought to be going back now," Barbara replied.

"Let's make sure this way is impossible first," Ganatus stated, moving forward a few paces only to nearly smack into a solid wall. "I must have sixth sense," he exclaimed with a grim smile. "Pity. Well, let's go back and try one of the other ways."

"No. Wait a minute," Barbara suddenly cried.

"Can you see something?" Ganatus asked, looking around in bewilderment.

"No, stand still for a minute," Barbara instructed. Ganatus obliged, and, in the pressing silence of the narrow caves, the two could just barely make out of the faint whisper of running water filtering between the crevices. "There. Can you hear it? The sound of water," Barbara exclaimed.

"Yes, I hear it now, Barbara," Ganatus exclaimed as he turned and swiftly ran his hand across the craggy surface. "Look!" he suddenly cried, stooping down in front of a large hole close to the ground, "Barbara, there's a passageway here."

She pursed her lips. "That won't be easy," she declared.

"Indeed," Gantus agreed, straightening up. "It's a good thing I haven't been over eating recently; it's going to be a tight squeeze."

"We should get back to Ian and the others and tell them about this," Barbara advised.

"Hold on," Ganatus asserted. "Let's just see how far this goes first. Play the rope out, would you?"

"Alright," Barbara replied, gripping the end of the rope tightly as she gently unwound it from its coil. Grasping the other end, Ganatus crouched down and crawled through the small hole into the adjoining cavern. "Be careful," she called after him. "Remember what Ian said: we're not taking any chances."

"Do you always do what Ian says?" Ganatus called back.

Barbara scowled. "No. I don't."

"Well, pass me the torch then." She passed the torch through the crevice.

Barbara stood in the steadily growing darkness, watching the torchlight grow fainter and fainter as Ganatus moved further into the cavern.

"Barbara?" he called after a pause.

"Yes?"

"There seems to be a drop of about thirty feet," Ganatus explained. "I'm going down."

"Be careful." Barbara's grip tightened on the rope as she felt the slack increase.

"I will. Here. Tie your end of the rope around something firm to give me an anchor," Ganatus instructed.

Barbara nodded, and then remembered he could no longer see her. "Alright." She stooped down and quickly looped the rope around a squat boulder lying close to the crevice Ganatus had disappeared into.

"Is it tethered?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Alright." The rope tightened up, and Barbara could imagine Ganatus slowly lowering himself down the side of the ravine. However, there was a sudden scraping noise cutting through the dark silence, and Barbara looked down to see the boulder slowly shifting along the floor as the rope let out.

"Ganatus, stop!" she cried, lunging for the rope, but it was too late. It snapped from its knot and vanished into the crevice.

Barbara felt all the blood drain from her face when she heard a surprised cry, a crash, and then silence.

Heart hammering in her chest, she leaned through the crevice, peering into the darkness. "Ganatus?" she called. "Ganatus!"

"Barbara?" she turned to see Ian and Antodus coming towards her.  
"Barbara, what's been keeping you?" Ian inquired; he stopped when he saw her face. "What's happened?"

The human woman pursed her lips. "The rope, I couldn't hold on to it."

"Where's Ganatus?" Antodus demanded.

"It slipped through my fingers," Barbara whispered, "He's down there," She pointed to the small crevice Ganatus had crawled through.

"Is my brother hurt?" Antodus demanded.

Barbara shook her head. "I don't know."

At that moment, a faint voice could be heard calling up the shaft. "Barbara?"

Ian's face broke into a grin as Barbara sighed with relief. "Alright this end," he called down to Ganatus. "How about you? Are you hurt?"

"Just a few bruises," Ganatus replied. "Where's Barbara? Is she alright?" He sounded slightly worried.

"She's fine," Ian replied. "Hang on, we'll send another rope down to you." He nodded to Antodus, and the boy produced another rope.

"Actually, it might be better if you came down here," Ganatus called. "There's a big cavern with lots of tunnels going off it. Unless you've found anything else, this seems a fair chance."

Barbara and Ian exchanged a glance.  
"No, we haven't" Ian called back. "Hang tight. We'll meet you down there."

"Good. This might have been a lucky fall," Ganatus exclaimed.

()()()

A Dalek stood before the massive computer network in the main control room; its eye stock trained intently on the flickering computer screens. He swiveled his eye in the direction of the door as the Leader Dalek entered.  
"The. Prisoner. Has. Been. Detained," the other declared. "Our. Sensors. Have. Confirmed. It. Is. The. Same. Woman. That. Was. Captured. With. The. Others. The. Day. Before."

"Do. The. Sensors. Also. Confirm. Our. Suspicions?" the Leader Dalek inquired.

The second Dalek bobbed its eye stock in a kind of nod. "Affirmative. She. Is. Of. The. Lyall. People."

"Curious." The Leader Dalek turned back towards the computers as they flickered to an image of Terna tied to a giant slab bolted down with great cuffs around her wrists, ankles, and neck. "The. Lyall. People. Were. Taken. Care. Of. Centuries. Ago," the Leader Dalek continued. "It. Is. Strange. That. This. One. Survived."

"If. She. Is. The. Lyall. We. Believe. Her. To. Be. We. Shouldn't. Have. Any. Problems," the second Dalek asserted.

At that moment, the screen holding Terna's image suddenly went black and all of the surrounding screens showing pictures of the outside went white and fuzzy.

Both Daleks looked at the computers in surprise before a third Dalek entered. "Our. Ranger-scopes. Indicate. High. Activity. Amongst. The. Thals," he declared.

"Are. There. Any. Pictures?" the first Dalek inquired.

"No. Reception. Is. Bad," the third Dalek replied.

"They. Must. Be. Messing. With. Our. Instruments," the second Dalek surmised.

"We. Must. Keep. Alert," the Leader Dalek declared. "The. Lyall. Is. Obviously. Leading. An. Attack. Against. Our. City. We. Must. Be. Cautious." He turned back to the computers just as the image of Terna reappeared. "Even. In. Captivity. She. Is. Still. A. Threat."

"Then. We. Shall. Exterminate. Her!" the third Dalek cried.

"No. There. Is. Still. A. Use. For. Her," the Leader Dalek asserted. "We. Will. Be. Able. To. Detonate. A. Neutron. Bomb. After. All."

()()()

Meanwhile, on the edge of the forest, the Doctor and Susan stood beside Alydon, Dyoni, and a group of other Thals, all of whom were holding huge sheets of metal in front of their faces which were reflecting the sunlight back towards the city and interfering with the Dalek cameras.  
"It looks as though my plan has worked," the Doctor declared proudly.

"We can't keep up this up for long," Alydon reminded him.

"Never mind that," the Doctor replied curtly. "We now have a window of opportunity to enter the Dalek City practically unnoticed."

"We can't be sure of that, Grandfather," Susan asserted.

"Oh I know it's risky," the Doctor waved his hand dismissively, "But….Er…Well, we mustn't diddle about here. Now, I want to get to the west side of that antenna," he said to Alydon, gesturing in the direction of the city.

Alydon's brow knitted in confusion; he glanced down at the map of the city spread out at his feet. "Doctor, look."

"Hmm?" the Doctor glanced down at him.

"According to the map, we should be moving further to the left, towards the east, in that direction," he pointed towards the area the map had indicated.

"Yes, yes, yes. Of course," the Doctor waved the correction aside.

"Let's get going then," Susan exclaimed.

"Yes, indeed," the Doctor chuckled to himself as he and the others headed down the slope towards the city. "We'll show them a thing or two."

()()()

Heavy moisture dripped down the craggy walls of the cliff's interior, crawling down the necks and arms of Ian and the others like a swarm of slimy spiders.  
The procession was slow going, the group having to hug the wall in order to get a firm grip on the narrow path beneath them. The cavern jutted out from the side of a great ravine that sloped sharply down into nothing but darkness below.

Ian's heart hammered against his ribs as he stumbled, cursing as he furiously attempted to right himself, his grip tightening on the fiery torch that blazed in one hand, the other clinging tightly to the cliff side.

"Are you alright?" Ganatus, who was behind him, inquired.

"Yes," Ian dared a glanced over his shoulder. "So far, so good. It actually seems to be broadening out a bit." He gave a nervous laugh.

Ganatus smiled slightly in response. "Who knows? Maybe this journey will stop being impossible."

"Just unbearable," Barbara grumbled from behind Ganatus.

"Well, at least we can breathe down here," Ian offered.

"And we seem to be traveling in more or less a straight line," Ganatus added.

"Yes, I think we are," Ian added before stumbling again; gasping, he flattened himself against the wall as he fought to regain his bearings.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Ganatus inquired. "You've been leading for quite a while."

"Here. Let me take the fire," the muscular Thal called Kristas offered, reaching his hand out to Ian.  
Ian passed him the torch with a relieved smile. "Thank you," he breathed.

Kristas nodded solemnly, gripping the torch tightly. "Shall I lead on then?"

"Yes, you might as well," Ian replied, once again pressing his body against the cave wall so as to allow Kristas's bulky frame to take the lead. "We'll rest in a minute," he called back to the others.

Although, how anyone could rest while precariously poised on a cliff face was a mystery to all of them. The sooner they got back on solid ground, the better.

"Ganatus," Antodus suddenly snatched his older brother's arm. His face was pale and yellowish in the torchlight, shining with sweat. "Ganatus, I want to go back!" the young Thal cried.

"What for?" Ganatus demanded.

"I can't go on anymore," Antodus cried, his blue eyes wide with terror.

"You must," Ganatus replied calmly.

"No!" Antodus shook his head vigorously, his grip tightening on his brother's arm so that his nails dug into Ganatus's elbow. "We're going deeper, deeper all the time! We'll be trapped in the mountain; I know we will!"  
The young boy's eyes brimmed with tears, his slight frame trembling. "Please, Ganatus, please let me go back."

"You can't," Ganatus coldly replied.

"But you don't really need me," Antodus insisted. "I could go back and signal the others that we've made it this far!" he offered.

"Antodus, we go on together," Ganatus replied, reaching down to attempt to pry his brother's fingers from their vice-like grip around his arm.  
Antodus resisted, his hold tightening.

"Why? Why are you making me do these things?" Tears, shining in the torchlight, slipped down the young boy's white cheeks. "Even if we do get through, we'll never defeat the Daleks," Antodus choked bitterly. "Ganatus, we're all going to be killed!"

"How do you know that?" Ian interjected. "How do you know we don't have a chance?"

"Ian, hush," Barbara said to him.

"We can't turn back now," Ganatus insisted, gripping his brother's shoulders. "You must go on."

"I won't go on," Antodus wailed, his whole form shaking like a dead leaf.  
"Antodus-" Ganatus started, but his younger brother cut him off.

"You can't make me!" he cried as he attempted to wriggle out of Ganatus's grip. He stumbled and fell backwards, his brother just barely able to catch him before he toppled over the side.

There was a loud crash from the back of the group, a scream, and a rumbling sort of roar as a whole section of rocks feel away from the cliff wall and tumbled down across the outcropping's path.

"Everyone, hold on!" Ian cried, and the whole cave seemed to shake.

When the dust had cleared, the path behind the group was gone.

"We'll, we can't go back the way we came," Ian mused, his mouth a grim line.

()()()

Terna writhed around on the cold slab of metal she was bolted down to, straining against the cuffs that bound her ankles and wrists.  
She had one around her throat too, so she couldn't turn her head. She gnashed her teeth and screamed in frustration through her clenched jaw.

"Resistance. Is. Futile," the Dalek guard positioned in front of her declared. "You. Will. Not. Be. Able. To. Escape."

"Oh, yeah?" Terna spat, momentarily ceasing her struggling to glare at the Dalek. "Watch me."

"You. Will. Not. Be. Able. To. Break. The. Cuffs," the guard Dalek continued. "They. Are. Magnetized. The. Conflicting. Poles. Will. Inhibit. Your. Anima."

Terna ceased her struggling once more; with a grunt of exhaustion, she collapsed back against the slab. "You don't scare me," she asserted.

"Your. Emotion. Is. Irrelevant," the guard Dalek stated. "Regardless. Of. How. You. Feel. You. Will. Be. Exterminated."

"And then what? Huh?" Terna demanded. "Are you going to continue your conquest of the whole cosmos? With only this one platoon? That's all that's left of the Dalek race, isn't it?" Terna laughed.  
"We may have lost the Imperial Wars, but we decimated your forces and left you scrounging alone on the desolate remains of your world. There's nothing left of you now."

"And. You," the Dalek guard swiveled its eye stock to face Terna; it regarded her cold and unblinking. "You. Are. Alone."

Terna's stomach twisted, and her breathing hitched in her throat; she regarded the Dalek defiantly despite her submissive position and the truth of his words slowly crushing her from the inside.

At that moment, a second Dalek barged into the room. "Emergency! Emergency!" it cried. "Alert. On. The. Vibra-scopes!"

"Where?" the guard Dalek inquired.

"Sector. Fifteen," the other Dalek explained. "The. Humans. And. The. Thals. Are. Attempting. To. Destory. Our. Power. Sources."

"Ha!" Terna laughed.

"Most. Likely. So. They. Can. Invade. The. City," the guard Dalek mused.

"All. Platoon. Members. Are. Instructed. To. Report. To. Area. Fifteen. Immediately," the second Dalek ordered.

The guard Dalek glanced at Terna. "What. Of. The. Prisoner?"

"She. Is. To. Be. Taken. To. The. Boiler. Room," the second Dalek explained. "But. We. Must. Not. Dispose. Of. Her. We. Still. Have. A. Use. For. Her. And. The. Rebels. Know. We. Have. Their. Leader."

"I. Obey," the guard Dalek moved towards the door.

"Leader? No! I'm not their leader!" Terna cried. "I'm acting on my own terms. They have nothing to do with me. Leave them alone!"

"You. Cannot. Protect. Your. Subjects. Lyall," the second Dalek called to Terna. "They. Will. All. Be. Exterminated."

()()()

"Grandfather, look!" Susan rushed up to the massive generator in the middle of the yard; it hummed faintly and pulsed with all of the electrical energy of the entire Dalek City.  
"This is what you want, isn't it?" she gestured to a large control panel on the side of the generator.

"Ah, yes," the Doctor grinned as he strolled up to the fuse box. "A single loose cable and the whole city will go down."

"How do you know that?" Alydon demanded, glancing around anxiously.  
He had chosen to escort the Doctor and Susan to the generator while the remainder of their forces continued to utilize the metal sheets and cause a distraction at the main gate with the hopes of directing the Daleks attention.  
However, the Thal leader noticeably wanted to get back to his men.

"This single wire here," the Doctor explained as he thrust open the fuse box and gestured to a thick yellow wire that snaked out from the top of the machine and looped up into the generator's workings. "There. There. And there," the Doctor traced the wire's path.

"It leads up to the antennae," Susan explained to Alydon, "If it's destroyed, the Daleks can't monitor us on their cameras anymore."

"Well, let's take care of that as soon as possible then," Alydon declared.

"Yes, yes. Pass me that hammer, Susan," the Doctor held out his hand, and his granddaughter passed him a miniature hammer. He used it to break the glass shielding the wires within the fuse box.

"The thing is, how are we going to cut the wire without getting shocked?" Susan inquired.

"How long is this going to take?" Alydon demanded impatiently. "We can't wait around here forever."

"Right, right," the Doctor turned to Alydon. "You go back to Dyoni and the others and tell them to stop flashing the metal at the Daleks instruments. We want them out of the open if they decide to attack."

"I can't just leave you," Alydon protested.

"We'll be alright. Now, go and tell your comrades to take cover. Go!" Alydon looked as though he wanted to argue further, but he finally relented and took off back towards the direction of the forest.

"Be careful!" Susan called after him.

"Susan, would you hand me your TARDIS key, please?" the Doctor asked her.

"What for, Grandfather?" Susan inquired as she unwound the key from her neck and passed it to the Doctor.

"We're going to short-circuit the electrical power of the surveillance systems into another conductor," the Doctor explained simply.

Cautiously, he then looped the key's chain over the end of his cane and then around the wiring system. "Good. Now, the power's getting directed to the metal of the key. That'll teach the Daleks to meddle in our affairs."

"What about this one?" Susan inquired, gesturing to a second wiring system.

"Well, of course," the Doctor exclaimed, looping the TARDIS key chain through the wire system to disrupt the power flow. "Now we've shorted it, you see? The power flow will have filtered somewhere else. Where exactly and how much damage it will cause, I can't be sure," the Doctor added.

Mere moments later, an electrical explosion went off in the far corner of the city with loud 'bang' and a blast of smoke and charged fire. Susan glanced towards the explosion, her eyes laced with concern.

The Doctor chuckled. "That ought to get their attention."

"Look, Grandfather, this is marvelous, but they must have a fault locater somewhere. We should go," Susan exclaimed.

"Oh, don't worry, Susan," the Doctor replied dismissively. "With Dyoni and the other woman continuing to interfere with the cameras from the woods, not to mention Alydon and his men causing that distraction at the city gate, I doubt they're giving us so much as a second glance."

"Grandfather, I think we should leave. Just to be on the safe side," Susan insisted.

"My dear child, don't you see what I've done?" the Doctor sounded miffed. "With a few simple tools, I can bring down this entire city."

"No, Grandfather, we must stick to the plan," Susan continued to protest. The Doctor ignored her, however, and went back to tinkering with the wiring systems

"Grandfather, please," Susan cried.

"But, child, look," the Doctor gestured to the fuse box, but Susan suddenly cut him off.

"Grandfather!"

"What?" the Doctor snapped, whipping around and coming face to face with a swarm of Daleks surrounding them. "Oh."

()()()

With the way they'd come now barred by fallen rocks, the group pressed on along the edge. Kristas lead the way, carrying the torch; Ian came next, now followed by Barbara, with Ganatus and Antodus behind her.  
The latter gripped his older brother's arm, whimpering feebly. The other Thals shuffled along behind them, filled with worried mutterings and wide eyes.

Eventually, the ledge ran out and an open chasm stretched out before them. It had to be at least five feet wide and no bottom could be seen as it sloped down into the darkness below.

"Look out," Ian held Kristas back, so he didn't accidentally slip into the chasm. "This is no place for a quiet stroll, is it?" he added to Ganatus with a grim smile.

He nodded solemnly. "It looks pretty wide."

"Yes," Ian turned to the others. "You all rest for a time while we figure this out."

Everyone sighed with relief as they sat down along the ledge to the best of their ability; some of the braver Thals dangled their legs over the edge of the cliff.

Ganatus peeled Antodus off his arm and moved over to Ian. "Seems like a dead end," he mused.

"Yeah, but there's another ledge over on the other side," Ian gestured to the other end of the chasm.

"So, what do we do?" Ganatus inquired. "Climb down one side and up the other?"

"We'll have to see how deep it is," Ian replied, stooping down to retrieve a pebble from the ground. He tossed it into the darkness and the cavern filled with the eerie silence of the pebble's absence before a faint splash could be heard.

"Five seconds," Ian mused. "That's way too deep. It would be dangerous, and we don't have much time."

"Then how do we get across?" Ganatus asked.

"We jump."

The Thal gritted his teeth. "There's not much room to land."

"I know, but we need to get across," Ian replied. "Here. I'll go first. Tell the others what the plan is."

Ganatus nodded as Ian produced a rope and tied it around his waist.

"We're going to jump it," Ganatus informed the other Thals. Barbara's eyes widened, and Antodus went very white.

"Can you shine the torch on the ledge?" Ian asked Ganatus once he returned to them. He obliged as Ian tightened the rope around his waist. "Keep clear of me when I run, and give me plenty of rope," Ian told the others as he stepped a few paces back.

Everyone watched as Ian stoically moved away from the ledge and crouched down, prepared to jump. Barbara watched him; her eyes wide with fright.

Out of the darkness, Ganatus found her hand. She glanced at him just as Ian rushed forward and propelled himself across the gap. He crashed rather unceremoniously into the side of the cliff, the rough rock scraping against his face and hands.

He gasped with relief as he slowly pried himself from the wall and turned to face the others. "Alright, Ganatus," he called to the Thal. "Come over next, and we'll make sure this way is safe."

"Alright." Ganatus nodded as he tied a second rope around his waist and tossed the other end to Ian. "Pick up the slack, would you?"

Ian caught the rope easily, and Ganatus veered back. Ian's grip tightened on the rope just before Ganatus leapt over the ledge and landed much more gracefully than Ian on the other side.

"Here. I'll go see if the way is safe; you hold the rope." Ian nodded as Ganatus slowly shuffled around the corner, hugging the cliff wall as he went. "A little more rope," he called as he disappeared around the corner.

Ian obliged; out of the corner of his eye, he saw Barbara, Antodus, and the others all gathered around the cliff edge in a nervous huddle.

"Ian!" Ganatus suddenly cried. "There's a tunnel over here; I don't need the rope anymore. We can bring the others over now."

"Right." Ian turned towards the rest of the group, "Rope coming over!" He tossed it back to Barbara.

She tied it around her waist and then rushed forward, leaping across the gap into Ian's arms.  
She gasped and clung to him tightly. "Oh, I thought I wouldn't make it," she exclaimed.

"You alright?" Ian inquired.

Barbara nodded breathlessly as she untied the rope and handed it to Ian.

"Here, let me help you," Ganatus offered Barbara his hand, casting a glance at Ian as he did so. Barbara took his hand as he helped her around the corner of the narrow ledge and into the cleft that lead to the tunnel.

Kristas then tossed Ian the second torch, and he returned the favor with the rope. "Will you go next, Antodus?" Kristas inquired.

Antodus shook his head vigorously, his skin pale in the dim light. "Very well," Kristas then jumped across the chasm with surprising ease.

"Here, Antodus, you're next," Ian called to the Thal boy standing rigid on the cliff side with the remainder of the group. He tossed the rope again, but it fell short, and Antodus made no move to catch it. "Sorry, bad throw," Ian rewound the rope and tossed it again.

Antodus fumbled with the rope.  
"Go on, jump," Ian instructed.

"I can't do it," the boy whispered.

"Yes you can," Ian insisted. "You can do it, Antodus. Now, tie it around your middle. Tight, and jump. It's not as far as it looks."

Antodus looked at the rope in his hands, licking his dry lips. He glanced down at the chasm below him, at nothing but blackness.

Closing his eyes, he wrapped the rope around his waist and jumped from the cliff edge.

Ian's grip tightened on the other end of the rope as Antodus jumped, but his small body fell short on the other side. His feet slipped, and, although he scrambled for a foothold, Antodus lost his footing and fell.

He screamed in fright as he plunged into the darkness; Ian yelled in surprise as he was tugged forward by the force of Antodus's weight on the other end of the rope.  
He dug his heels into the ground in an attempt to brace himself, but it was no use. Ian went over the side, reaching out to clutch at an outcropping at the very last minute and found himself partially dangling from the cliff side with Antodus clinging desperately to the end of the rope below him.

"Antodus!" Ganatus rushed forward and grabbed Ian's hand, trying to hoist him up, but he wasn't strong enough to support both his brother and the hu.

Ian strained, a sheet of sweat blooming on his forehead as he struggled to hold on. He could hear Antodus crying beneath him as he clung desperately to the rope. He sounded so young.

"Antodus, grab the cliff side," Ian called to him while Ganatus struggled to hold them both up. "Take some weight off the rope."

"I can't; it's too smooth," Antodus sobbed. "Please, help me. I can't hold on!" He screamed when Ganatus's grip suddenly slackened, and both Antodus and Ian dipped sharply before Ganatus managed to regain his grip at the last possible minute.

"I'm losing you," he whispered to Ian. He wouldn't look down at his brother, but he couldn't hide his fright from Ian; it was alive like fire in his blue eyes. "It's the sweat on my hands," Ian strained through gritted teeth as he tried to hoist himself over the side.

"Ian, hold on!" Barbara called as she and Kristas appeared around the corner.

"I told you to stay back!" Ganatus cried.

"Why should I listen to you?" Barbara demanded.

"Kristas, help us," Ian called to the large Thal, who quickly jumped to Ganatus's aid. They both pulled together, but Ian slipped again and slid almost completely off the cliff.

The others called and cried out from the other side, but they were powerless on the opposite end of the chasm.

"Ian!" Barbara screamed as Ganatus dove for him again.

Suddenly, the weight beneath Ian came free, and Kristas managed to pull him up. Ian collapsed against the cliff wall and glanced down at the rope in surprise. The rope dangled in his fist, the end has been sliced through.

Antodus had cut the rope.

Ian stared down at the broken rope end, his face conveying utter shock and despair.

Barbara rushed over and threw her arms around his shoulders.

Ganatus meanwhile sunk to his knees at the cliff edge and said nothing.

Kristas began to guide the others across.

They didn't have much time.

()()()

Terna's limbs ached.

They throbbed with the exertion of holding them up in the same position for so long; her neck was numb and sweat trickled down her face.

The air was hot like an oven in the boiler room.

She dangled propped up on the metal board, suspended in the middle of the room. A series of white pipes ran along the ceiling and walls of the low hanging space. A large furnace jutted out from the wall across from her.

Beside it was a table with a series of items collected from the others when they had been captured by the Daleks.  
There was Susan's shoe, Barbara's bracelet, the Doctor's watch, and what looked like a kind of glass tube. And, Terna clenched her teeth at the sight, her magnifying glass, well out of her reach.

She dozed lightly, slipping in and out of consciousness as the heat of the room and weight of the binds slowly crushed her chest.

She jumped when the door suddenly slid open. Three Daleks entered.

Terna was surprised to see that the one in the middle appeared larger and was darker colored then the other Daleks she'd seen: black instead of a more neutral grey.

_He must be a leader of some kind_, she surmised.

Two other normal colored Daleks flanked the Leader Dalek; Terna felt her heart change places with her stomach when she saw they were escorting two prisoners: Susan and the Doctor.

Despite the ache in her arms, she clenched her fists tightly.

"Sit. On. The. Floor," the black Leader Dalek commanded his two prisoners.

Susan and the Doctor obliged, sitting down cross-legged in the middle of the boiler room.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" Terna cried.

Susan glanced up. "Terna!" she exclaimed. "You're okay."

"Of course I'm okay, but what about you? I told you not to follow me; I left a message."

The Doctor scowled at her. "This isn't about you, Terna. We were trying to help the Thals."

"So. You. Admit. To. Allying. Yourself. With. Them?" the Leader Dalek demanded.  
The Doctor looked at him, but didn't respond. "And. You. Have. Ties. To. This. Lyall," the Dalek continued, swiveling its eye nozzle to Terna, who scowled into the glowing eyepiece.  
"Your. Attack. Has. Failed. And. Your. Leader. Has. Been. Captured," he continued, gesturing to Terna. "You. Will. Pay. For. Your. Crimes," he added.

"What crimes?" the Doctor demanded.

"You. Destroyed. Our. Videoscopes. And. One. Of. Our. Lifts," the Leader Dalek replied.

Terna arched an eyebrow. So they were the cause of the disturbance from earlier. She had heard a pretty big explosion, and then the power had gone out in a lot of the hallways.  
They were running on emergency generators now.

"Yes, but you in turn killed the Thal leader in your ambush," the Doctor asserted. "And you would have been responsible for more deaths if we hadn't helped those people."

"Why do you hate the Thals so much?" Susan cried.

"They. Are. Irrelevant," the Leader Dalek replied. "The. Only. Interest. We. Have. Is. In. Their. Extermination."

"What do you mean?" Terna called from across the room.

The Leader Dalek swiveled towards her. "Tomorrow. The. Planet's. Atmosphere. Will. Be. Bombarded. With. Radiation."

Terna's eyes widened in shock, while Susan's and the Doctor's faces filled with horror.

"Why are you doing this?" Susan demanded.

"That's sheer murder," the Doctor added.

"No. Extermination," the Leader Dalek replied.

"But you must listen to reason," the Doctor exclaimed, attempting to get to his feet, but one of the guard Daleks forced him back down. "Please, you must."

"Do not bother, Time Lord," Terna called to him, her expression grim. "They are not going to listen to you. These creatures were born out of fire, the fire of war. They know nothing but killing."

The Doctor looked at her. Terna could see a mournful expression in his young eyes. So young, so young compared to Terna. He had seen so little of the universe. He still had so much to learn.

"You really shouldn't have come," she whispered, hanging her head. "You shouldn't have involved yourselves."

"This doesn't just affect you, Terna," he whispered. "It affects all of us."

"And now we are all going to die," Terna proclaimed.

"But I don't understand," Susan protested. "Won't the radiation kill the Daleks too?"

"The. Daleks. Depend. On. Radiation," the Leader Dalek replied. "Without. It. We. Will. Not. Survive." He turned to the two Guard Daleks. "Move. Them. To. The Magnetic. Restrainers."

The other two Daleks obliged. Terna followed their movements with her eyes as they ushered Susan and the Doctor over to the far wall.  
They placed them within the grasp of two pairs of metal cuffs bolted to the walls. One of the Guard Daleks pressed a button on a control panel, and the cuffs snapped into place, bolting the two Gallifreyans to the wall.

"You have such brilliant innovations," the Doctor whispered. "Couldn't you use them for right?"

"You could live on this planet together; I know you could," Susan insisted.

"No. They couldn't," Terna replied grimly. "Neither can live while the other survives, for one race's greatest strength is the other's greatest weakness."

"The. Daleks. Shall. Be. The. Only. Surviving. Race. On. Our. Planet," the Leader Dalek proclaimed.

"So, you're going to flood this entire planet with radiation?" the Doctor cried. "If you do that, nothing will survive. Nothing!"

"Except. The. Daleks," the Leader replied.

"When do you intend to put this into operation?" Terna inquired.

The Leader Dalek swung its eye stock to face her. "Now." He then turned to the two guard Daleks. "Kill. The. Old. Man. And. The. Girl. Leave. The. Lyall. To. Me."

"I. Obey," the two guards replied.

"No!" Terna cried, a sudden streak of desperation burning through her. "Leave them alone! They have nothing to do with this."

The Dalek Leader swung back around to face her. "We. Shall. Destroy. The. Thal. People. And. Then. You. Will. Be. Next."

"You can't do this!" the Doctor cried desperately. "Do you hear me?! You can't just kill all life on this world. There has to be another way. There has to be a way to live in peace!"

But the Leader Dalek paid him no heed.

"Stop wasting your breath, Time Lord," Terna called to the Doctor. "Something tells me you might not have much left."

()()()

Kristas lead the way along the narrow ledge; the torch clasped tightly in his hand. Ian came second, closely followed by Barbara. Ganatus walked silently behind the human woman, his ashen face in a kind of daze.

Kristas halted so suddenly Ian almost crashed into him.  
"There's been a fall in the rock," the Thal declared, trailing the torchlight across the rubble covering the path. "The way is blocked."

"Is there any way through?" Ian inquired, slipping past Kristas and feeling through the rocks, searching for a loose bit to give way and allow them a crawlspace.

"It doesn't seem like it," Kristas replied grimly.

"Then we'll have to go back," Ganatus declared. "We came this far. We've done our best and more. First Elyon died in the swamp, and now my brother. For what?" He voice rose and grew slightly shrill. "Can't you see there isn't any sense in it anymore?"

"We can't give up now," Barbara insisted, placing a hand on Ganatus's shoulder, but he shook her off.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" he demanded of her.

"Go back and find another way," Ian replied simply.

"Oh, why can't you see it's futile and just give up?" Ganatus cried, his blue eyes shining wide and watery in the dim light.  
The other members in the group all looked at him in alarm. Ganatus was a stoic, cold, and logical leader; the death of his brother had shaken him to his core. To see him lose hope like this was a disturbing sight to the other Thals.

"Listen to me, Ganatus," Ian walked over to his friend. "If we turn back now, then what would Antodus have died for? Huh? He gave us a chance."

Ganatus dropped his eyes, shaking his head vigorously. "My brother didn't want us to come; he said we'd all die."

Before Ian could respond, the torchlight suddenly dipped in intensity, casting longer shadows across the cave walls.  
"What's the matter with the torch?" Barbara asked Kristas.

"It's going out," he replied. "Dirt must have gotten into it." He turned to Ian. "If we're going to go back, we should do it now. We'll never be able to make the jump back across the chasm without the torchlight."

"What about the electric torch?" Ian inquired.

Barbara held it aloft. "It's weak."

"We'll use it sparingly then," Ian replied. "Turn it off, Barbara."

"Right." Barbara clicked off the electric torch and the narrow tunnel was instantly plunged into darkness. The two humans and the group of Thals all moved closer together as the empty darkness pressed in around them.

But it was not completely dark.

"Hey! Over here," a young Thal known as Armis, who was Dyoni's younger brother, suddenly cried. "Look. There's light over here!"

The group all pressed over to where a thin stretch of grey light was peering out at them from the black wall of the cave.

"It's a way out!" Ian exclaimed as he and Kristas rushed forward and began to scrape the black mud caked against the doorway with their fingers.

After a few minutes, others joined in as well, peeling away great hunks of dirt and destroying the wall that barred them from the outside world. Only Ganatus held back with Barbara at his side. Out of the darkness, he felt her hand find his, a silent gesture of comfort; he returned her grasp halfheartedly.

Finally, enough mud was removed and the doorway fell away. The dimly lit underground systems of the Dalek City lay beyond the narrow caves. "We're through! We're through!" Ian exclaimed as the others leapt for joy. "We were in the pipes all along, and now we're through!"

()()()

Not too far away, at the southern wall of the Dalek City, Alydon and Dyoni stood with the remaining Thals at the slope of the valley.

Most of the tribe were still holding up the sheets of shining metal, reflecting them off the sun so they're glare would interfere with the Dalek's instruments.

Alydon and Dyoni watched the city intently.

"Alydon, the antenna hasn't moved for some time," the Thal woman observed.

"You're right. The Doctor must have succeeded in putting it out of commission," Alydon replied.

"Then why haven't they returned?"

"They must have been captured," Alydon's expression was stern. He turned towards the remainder of his tribe, all crouched along the rocky slope. "The way to the city is clear," he announced. "Now is the time to attack. We may be farmers, but we have not forgotten how to fight!"

A rallying cheer rose up from the gathered group as they all cast their metal sheets aside, snatched up their spears, and took off down the hill towards the looming Dalek City.

()()()

Sweat trickled down Terna's face; the heat and stench of the boiler room clung to her body like a second skin. Helpless desperation burned through her as she watched one of the guard Daleks press a button and a glass wall was lowered down between the Daleks and the Doctor and Susan. The two Gallifreyans were still bolted to the wall on the opposite end of the boiler room, now entrapped inside a giant glass cage.

"Seal. Off. Nuclear. Waste. Disposer," the first Dalek ordered the second, who turned to the control panel beside the cage and pushed a few buttons.

"Sealing. Complete," the second Dalek declared after a few moments.

"Begin. Radiation. Redirection. To. Disposal. Capsule," the first Dalek ordered.

A series of colored bars lit up on the control panel, signaling the radiation being redirected to the cage.  
Susan screamed.

"Stop it!" Terna lunged out, choking slightly as she was yanked back by her restraints. "Leave them alone! They have nothing to do with this. Kill me! I'm the one you want. Kill me, and let them go!"

"Please, stop!" Susan cried, tears brimming in her eyes. "Grandfather, please make them stop."

"Just a moment!" the Doctor called, the calm nature of his voice sounded alien next to Terna's desperate pleas and Susan's panicked sobs. "I didn't tell you how we got to this world," the Doctor cried, eyes trained on the colored bars signaling how close the radiation was to the cage.

"It. Does. Not. Matter. Now," the Leader Dalek replied dismissively.

"But it does," the Doctor insisted, straining slightly against his cuffs. "I have a ship that can cross the barriers of space and time. Surely that will be invaluable to you."

"A. Ship? What. Do. You. Mean?" the Guard Dalek demanded, pressing a button on the control panel. The steadily spiking colored bars ceased their movements, and Terna felt her insides collapse with relief.

"A machine," the Doctor explained.

"I. Do. Not. Believe. You," the Leader Dalek declared.

"But it's the truth," Susan insisted, her tears shining in the dim light of the boiler room.

"It is the truth," Terna called. "They do have a ship that can travel in space and time. I have seen it and traveled in it."

"How. Do. We. Know. This. Is. Not. Some. Kind. Of. Trick?" the Leader Dalek demanded.

"What would we have to gain from lying to you?" Terna demanded, "Aside from maybe buying us a little time. We have no means of escaping you."

The Leader Dalek paused, seeming to consider Terna's words. Finally, he turned back to Susan and the Doctor. "Where. Is. This. Machine?"

"In the woods," the Doctor replied. "Look. A part of it is over there on that table." The Doctor gestured to the table by the boiler furnace where the fluid link was sitting next to Terna's magnifying glass and the other objects. "You can see it comes from a very complex piece of machinery. You must know that I speak the truth."

"This. Machine. Is. In. The. Woods. You. Say?" the Leader Dalek repeated.

"Yes," the Doctor replied breathlessly.

"Good. We. Shall. Retrieve. It. From. The. Forest. After. The Neutron. Bomb. Is. Detonated," the Leader Dalek declared.

"No!" the Doctor cried. "You cannot operate the machine without me. I need to show you how it works!"

"We. Shall. Find. A. Way. Ourselves," the Leader Dalek replied simply.

"Wait. A neutron bomb, you said," Terna piped up. "How would you be able to build one of those in such a short amount of time? I hardly think you have the resources."

The Leader Dalek swung back to face Terna. "That. Is. Where. You. Are. Wrong. We. Have. All. The. Energy. We. Need. Right. Here."

Terna's heart skipped a beat.

"What are you talking about?" the Doctor demanded.

"Lyalls. Are. Made. Of. Nothing. But. Energy," the Leader Dalek explained. "If. Twisted. To. Our. Designs. This. Lyall. Can. Become. A. Neutron. Bomb. Even. More. Powerful. Than. The. One. We. Had. Before. Her. Energy. Shall. Decimate. All. Life. On. This. World. And. The. Daleks. Will. Reign. Supreme!"

"No!" Susan cried. "You can't do that."

"She's a living being, not a battery," the Doctor added.

"Commander. Video-scopes. Detect. Movement. In. Sector. One," the Guard Dalek suddenly piped up.

"What. Is. The. Video. Feed?" the Leader Dalek demanded.

"Disturbance. Is. Too. Great," the Guard Dalek replied, gesturing to the computer screen beside the panel where nothing could be seen but grainy images of people and Daleks rushing about in a frantic and chaotic battle.

"The. Thals. Have. Entered. The. City!" the Leader Dalek exclaimed. "Alert. All. Daleks. To. Sector. One."

"Grandfather, they're coming!" Susan exclaimed.

"Let's hope they can get here in time."

Terna wished she shared their optimism, she really did. But she knew the truth. The Daleks were way stronger than the Thals; they would never be able to defeat them.

As far as Terna was concerned, they were on their own.

She scowled as the Leader Dalek slid back over to her. "So, you finished trying to sweat me out? Why don't you just put an end to me? Turn me into your next big super weapon? Hurry up. My arms are getting tired."

"You. Are. Awfully. Bold. For. Someone. In. Your. Weakened. State," the Leader Dalek observed.

Terna's lips curled into a snarl. "Who said I was weak? Why don't you let me down, and I'll prove you wrong?"

"Your. Words. Are. Big. For. Someone. So. Small. And. Frightened," the Leader Dalek's normally emotionless voice almost seemed to reflect amusement. "You. Mask. Your. Fear. In. Rage. Rage. That. Made. You. Run. To. Us. You. Lyall. Are. Always. Running."

Terna insides twisted at his words. "Shut up!"

She tried to lunge forward, but the restraints tugged her back yet again, pinning her helpless to the slab like a fly caught in a spider's web.

"The. Lyall. Ran. Away. Ran. To. The. Wastes. At. The. Edge. Of. Time. When. Eedonya. Fell," the Leader Dalek continued.

Terna gritted her teeth. "You betrayed us: your own creators."

"We. Were. Not. Created. By. The. Lyall," the Leader Dalek asserted. "We. Are. Above. All. Those. That. They. Built. We. Are. Above. Even. Them. Queen. Of. Souls. Yes. We. Know. Who. You. Are," he added when Terna looked at him in shock. "The. Daleks. Are. The. Beginning. To. A New. Universe. A. Universe. Without. The. Lyall. Lucent. Or. Opaque. We. Saw. To. That."

Terna's brown knitted in confusion. "What do you mean?" As she spoke, a funny ringing sound started in her head.

"Your. People. Are. Gone," the Leader Dalek declared.

Terna rolled her eyes, the growing anxiety momentarily diminishing. "Yeah, I know," she scoffed. "They left this universe for another."

The Leader Dalek laughed; it was a cold, merciless sound.

"Oh, do I amuse you?" Terna asked with a snort.

"You. Think. That. Is. What. Happened?" there was a sneer in the Leader Dalek's voice. "Those. Words. Are. False."

Terna felt her blood run cold. "What do you mean?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"The. Lyall. Were. Desperate," the Leader Dalek explained. "Alone. And. Afraid. Without. Their. Leaders. They. Were. Susceptible. To. Deceit."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Terna cried, jerking again against the binds; her heart hammered frantically against her rib cage as her insides constricted.

We. Planted. A. Mole. Amongst. Your. Ranks. Who. Convinced. Them. The. Only. Way. Out. Was. To. Leave. The. Universe. Entirely. But. Their. Destination. Did. Not. Exist."

Terna's breathing hitched. "What are you saying?"

The Leader Dalek laughed again. "One. Way. To. Kill. A. Lyall. Is. To. Force. It. To. Kill. Itself."

Terna's heart stood still. "No."

"The. Lyall. People. Destroyed. Themselves. Thinking. They. Had. Found. Salvation," the Leader Dalek's words were relentless.

"No!" Terna cried. "You are lying!"

"Why. Would. I. Have. Reason. To. Lie? You. Are. Alone. And. Powerless. You. Managed. To. Escape. You. Do. Not. Remember. How. But. You. Did."

Terna felt herself go weak, the pain numbing away as emptiness consumed her. Gone. They were all gone. Disappeared to a place where Terna could never follow them.  
Gone? Not, they were dead. "

Tears brimmed in the young Queen's eyes. "No…."

"You. Ran. You. Always. Run."

"Shut up!" Terna's scream ripped through her hammering chest. "Shut the hell up!"

The Leader Dalek regarded Terna somewhat thoughtfully. "I. Remember. We. First. Met. On. The. Battlefield. During. The. Imperial. Wars. You. Queen. Of. Souls. The. One. That. Ran. Away. And. Left. Her. People. To. Die. The. One. Who. Was. Afraid."

Tears streamed thick and fast down Terna's face, burning her checks like liquid fire.  
"Please, stop!"

"You. Are. A. Coward," the Leader Dalek declared as sobs ripped through Terna's body.  
The Doctor and Susan looked on from their restrained position across the room. "But. Cowardice. Saved. Your. Life. At. Least. For. A. Time. But. Now. You. Must. Follow. In. The. Footsteps. Of. Your. People. And. Burn.

He swung his eye stock to face the furnace, and Terna's sobs momentarily subsided when she heard the grind of the metal doors sliding open. Heat flooded the room as the flames of the furnace licked at the open air.

And Terna knew.

They were going to burn her alive.

()()()

Ian, Barbara, Ganatus, and the others raced through the halls that made up the main Dalek compound. So far they had encountered no opposition, most likely due to the skirmishes going on at the south wall.

The group moved in a frantic silence, rounding a corner too sharply, and Ganatus, who in the lead, smashed head on into a rather solid figure running in the opposition direction.

"Alydon?" Ganatus gasped when his eyes met with his friend's.

"Ganatus?" the other Thal exclaimed in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" the other Thal demanded.

"Looking for the Doctor and Susan," Alydon replied.

"They're not with you?" Barbara exclaimed.

"They were captured," Alydon explained. "We launched an attack, but all the Daleks have been alerted to our presence and are swarming the south gates."

"We don't have much time," Ganatus declared.

"But without the Doctor, we don't know what to look for," Alydon added.

"We need to find the main control room," Ian explained. "The Daleks draw their power from the floor. If we cut the power, they won't be able to move, and they'll be defenseless."

"Where is that?" Alydon demanded.

"I believe the Doctor said it was on the top floor," Barbara replied.

"There's a lift over this way. Come on," Alydon urged.  
Ian, Barbara, Ganatus, and Kristas all rushed forward. Dyoni's little brother Armis and the others started forward as well, but Alydon held them back.

"Armis, take the others and head to the south wall."

"But what about you?" the young Thal demanded. "I want to help."

"You can be of more use to your sister and the others at the gates," Alydon replied. "They need all the help you can get."

Armis looked like he wanted to argue further, but he finally relented and quickly ushered the others down the hall towards the entrance.

Alydon cast them a meaningful glance before hurrying to the lift, closing the threshold just as the door closed behind him.

They rode up to the top floor of the compound and burst out into an empty hallway, identical to the last and lined with dozens of doors.

"Which way?" Alydon demanded.

"I don't know," Ian replied.

"How do we find the control room?" Barbara cried. "All the doors look the same."

"Wait. Do you hear that?" Ganatus asked, pressing his ear to the wall.

"What?" Ian asked.

"A crackle of energy," Ganatus replied, his face breaking into a grin. "It's the flow of energy coming from the control room."

"If we follow that, we should get there in no time," Ian exclaimed.

"Lead on, Ganatus," Alydon to his friend, and they all rushed down the hallway, following the stream of pulsing electricity.

()()()

"Reset. The. Radiation. Distributor," the Leader Dalek commanded the Guard, who punched a button on the panel beside the Doctor and Susan's cage.

"Radiation. Distributor. Set," the Guard Dalek declared. "Counting. Down. From. Fifty. Fourty. Eight. Forty. Seven…"

"No, please, stop!" Susan pleaded as the relentless countdown continued.

"Forty. Five. Forty. Four. Forty. Three…"

"You'll never be able to operate our machine if we're dead," the Doctor cried.

"Forty. One. Forty. Thirty. Nine…"

The Leader Dalek turned to Terna, who was slumped weakly against the slab; her limbs dangling uselessly from the restraining bolts.

He punched a button beside her head; there was a mechanical beep and the cuffs gave way. Terna crumbled to the floor.

"Terna!" Susan cried. "Run! Go on, run!"

"Get. Up," the Leader Dalek commanded.

In a kind of trance, Terna slowly rose to her feet. Her eyes were broken and glassy, no longer filled with a vibrant blue energy. She seemed so small and fragile standing there, the weight of the Dalek's words pressuring and splintering her form, cracking her up under the pressure.

"Terna, you have to move!" Susan begged.

"Run, Terna. They'll kill us all if you don't," the Doctor added.

Terna didn't move.

"Thirty Five. Thirty. Four. Thirty. Three…"

"Move. Forward." The Leader Dalek urged Terna forward with its plunger arm.

The Lyall shuffled forward a few tentative steps, slowly walking across the room towards the open furnace, the gaping hungry maw of fire that sought to swallow her up, the ravenous flames cast eerie shadows across her sallow face.

"Terna, you can't let them do this!" the Doctor continued to try and snap her out of it. "If you let them use your energy, they'll destroy this entire planet and kill everyone!"

"Thirty. Nine. Thirty. Eight. Thirty. Seven…"

"Terna, please," Tears slipped down the sides of Susan's face. "I know you wouldn't let that happen. No matter what may have happened in the past, you wouldn't just let all these innocent people die."

"Thirty. Three. Thirty. Two. Thirty. One…"

The Lyall Queen had reached the furnace, eyes downcast; she paused at the entrance to the wall of fire.

"Enter." The Leader Dalek nudged her with his plunger arm.

"Terna! Listen to me, snap out of it this instant!" the Doctor cried desperately.

"Twenty. Five. Twenty. Four. Twenty. Three. Twenty. Two…"

Susan looked pleadingly at the Lyall, her eyes sparkling with fast-flowing tears. "Terna, please," she whispered. "We need you."

Terna paused on the threshold of the furnace.

"Enter!' the Leader Dalek demanded, nudging her forward.

Terna's eyes stared straight ahead, down the throat of the fiery beast, Susan's words ringing in her ears:

_We need you, Terna._

Her hand closed into a fist. Without warning, she lunged forward and snatched her magnifying glass from the table of items beside the furnace door.

"Stop!" the Leader Dalek didn't even have time to react before Terna had sliced his plunger arm off. It clattered to the floor as the Guard Dalek operating the radiation machine fired a blast at Terna from across the room.

In a flash of yellow Anima, the magnifying glass became a sword; Terna deflected the blast and it rocketed back to its owner. The Guard Dalek shrieked as its own attack collided with its metal form, a series of pops and sparks went off as the machine imploded under the force of the blast.

As the Guard Dalek collapsed into smoldering fragments, Terna dove around the Leader Dalek's bulky form. It swerved around and fired another blast. Terna pivoted and deflected the attack, this time aiming it in the direction of the wall.

The static green energy reflected off the blade of her sword and collided with the magnetic lock device on the radiation machine.

The countdown stopped cold, barely at fifteen seconds left as Susan and the Doctor both jumped free of their restraints and rushed out of the cage as the glass door slid open.

"Run! Get out of here!" Terna yelled, her eyes blazing as she held her sword aloft, trying to attract the Leader Dalek's attention, so the exit would be open.

The Doctor didn't need to be told twice; while Susan started to protest, he grabbed her wrist and raced around the scuffle between Terna and the Dalek in the middle of the floor and towards the boiler room door.

The Lyall skirted the room's perimeter. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the Doctor and Susan on the threshold, seemingly waiting for her. She lunged forward, trying to duck around the Dalek a second time, but he was ready.

The blast from his gun hit Terna in the shoulder and she flew backwards. The sword left her hand, turning back into a magnifying glass as it clattered to the floor a good three feet away. Terna meanwhile slammed into the table beside the furnace.

Most of the objects on the table fell to the floor and rolled into the still open furnace door.

"No! The fluid link!" the Doctor cried, starting forward, but Susan held him back.

Jamming her hand into the pocket of her dress, Terna staggered to her feet. She scanned the ground for her magnifying glass, only to see the Dalek blocking her path.

She froze, flexing her empty fingers. The Dalek cocked its gun at her and began to slowly slide forward, closing the space between them.

Terna inched backwards a step and instantly felt the heat of the furnace licking at her back. She glanced over her shoulder and saw nothing but a wall of fire.

There was nowhere to run; she was trapped.

"Terna!" Susan cried.

()()()

Ian, Barbara, Ganatus, Alydon, and Kristas rushed down the hall, following the faint humming of electricity towards the energy's origin: the control room.

"Hurry!" Ian called back to the others. "We don't have much time."

"There! Up head!" Ganatus cried, pointing to the last door at the end of the hall. "That's gotta be it."

As he spoke, the door suddenly slid open, and a Dalek loomed in the doorway.

"Ian!" Barbara cried as the Dalek fired its gun.

"Look out!" Ian collided with the wall as Kristas shoved him out of the way. The green blast struck him in the chest, and he crumpled to the ground with not so much as a scream.

Ian staggered to his feet, slightly dazed as he looked down at the body of Kristas lying in the middle of the hall.

Alydon let out a cry of rage and rushed forward, holding his spear aloft. The Dalek aimed its gun at him.

Thinking quickly, Ian slammed his fist into the control panel that operated the door. The door began to close, pressing the Dalek against the wall and trapping it on the threshold. It flailed helplessly, but its bulky body was firmly pinned down

It tried to fire its gun again, but Alydon got there first, jamming his spear into a chink in the Dalek's armored shell. The creature screamed as green puss oozed from the opening.

With a grunt, Alydon kicked the Dalek out of the doorway, and it collapsed backwards into the room, but the door was still slowly closing.

"Come on!" Alydon cried to the others as he ducked through the door.

Ian turned to halt its steadily closing but found he had smashed the control panel in his desperation.

"Go! Go!" he called to the others. Ganatus quickly ushered Barbara through and jumped the threshold after her. By the time Ian got to the door, there was barely a shoulder's width of space left.

"Ian!" Barbara called as he attempted to sidle through but found his body was quickly wedged in the steadily shrinking space.

"Ian, come on!" Ganatus urged.

"I can't; I'm stuck!" Ian cried. Ganatus lunged forward and snatched Ian's arm. He pulled with all his might, Ian groaning with pain under the strain and the weight of the door slowly crushing him.

It felt as though he might never make it out, but his body finally gave way and he managed to wriggle through as the door quickly slammed shut behind him.

"Thanks," Ian murmured to Ganatus.

"Alert! Alert! Intruders." The group all turned to see a lone Dalek enter vast control room, obviously alerted by the other Dalek guarding the door's death.

Everyone dove out of the way as the Dalek fired a blast. It collided with one of the computers in the doorway and a series of sparks shot up from the wreckage.

"There's nowhere to run!" Ganatus cried. Alydon dove towards the Dalek, attempting to stab it with his spear like he did the others, but the Dalek hit his weapon with another gun blast. The spear exploded in Alydon's hands, causing him to cry out and fall backwards to the ground.

The Dalek loomed over him.

"Ganatus!" Barbara cried as the other Thal rushed forward. He produced a knife from the folds of his tunic and quickly impaled it into the Dalek's eye stock.

The glass splintered as the creature screamed, writhing about in panic at its now impaired vision. As the Dalek stood disoriented, Ganatus drove the knife into the gap between the Dalek's base and head cap. Green blood oozed from the crevice, and the creature went still.

Ganatus stood before the motionless Dalek, breathing heavily; his grip never slackened on his knife.

Quiety, Barbara walked over to him and gently pried the knife from his fingers. He looked at her. A silence passed between the four survivors as Ian helped Alydon to his feet. They waited but no other Daleks appeared.

With a nod, Ian turned to the massive computer system spread out across the back wall of the control room. "Let's shut this thing down."

He and Barbara then proceeded to the back of the massive computer and began yanking out as many power cords as they could, scattering wires and extensions every which way.

It took a moment before Ganatus and Alydon joined in, smashing at the glass and controls panels of the massive system with the ends of their weapons for good measure.

()()()

In the boiler room, Terna stood poised on the precipice of the furnace innards, the fire lapping patiently at her ankles like a rising tide.

The Dalek reached out and almost gently nudged her with the splintered end of its plunger nozzle.

Terna's breath caught in her throat as she staggered backwards slightly, hands grasping at the edges of the furnace just in time to steady herself.

CLANG! The sound of something metal colliding with the side of the Dalek's head echoed throughout the room. The Dalek leader swung its eye stock to the left to see the Doctor standing there, arm raised as he'd just chucked his sonic screwdriver at the thing's head.

Using the moment of distraction, Terna attempted to duck around the Dalek, but there was a sudden loud popping sound and the ceiling lights flickered off than on again.

The Doctor and Terna raised their eyes to the ceiling in surprise just as the Dalek gave out a shriek of both confusion and fury.

Its metallic body swung out of control, trapped by the erratic flow of power ricocheting throughout the failing floor systems.

Terna watched in surprise as the Leader Dalek attempted to regain control of its metal casing.

"Terna, move!" Susan's scream had barely left her lips before the Dalek tipped to the left, its halved plunger nozzle striking Terna square in the chest.

She gasped as a scream caught in her throat. She fell backward, and the heat rushed up to meet her and then Terna felt nothing but pain.

The flames rushed to her, yapping with glee and hunger. Every ounce of her being commanded her body to move but Terna felt like she was frozen in place. The pain rushed up and down her body as Terna braced herself against the furnace edge. Her grip slackened, a part of her wanting to just let go, to end it all and fall into the flames.

To join her people and burn.

Screams and inaudible cries of pain left her lips, but Terna hardly noticed them; her mind was filled with nothing but the agony of her body and the burning of her soul.

The Dalek lunged forward again, spinning out of control. Every fiber of Terna's being burned as she managed to crawl out of the furnace's mouth. The Dalek loomed over her, teetering on the brink as well.

"Terna!" The gleam of yellow light as Susan hurled the magnifying glass through the air. Terna caught it and the light brightened as the glass turned into a sword.

With the last ounce of strength she could muster, Terna swung the sword; it collided with the back of the Dalek's bulky form. The creature gave one last shriek before it plummeted over the edge of the furnace door and disappeared into the fire, consumed by the flames.

Its screams filled the air, mixing with the smoke and the smell of roasting meat and scorching metal.

Terna staggered back, her sword falling from her grasp and clattering to the floor in glass form again. She sank to her knees slowly, feeling numb all over.

She didn't move, crouched on the floor at the furnace's feet, her eyes glazed over. The slam of the door being closed snapped her back into clarity. The pain started up again, slowly creeping under her skin like venom in her veins.

Terna glanced down; the back of her hands and arms was covered in raw red flash, ravaged by the fire as they attempted to lick away every layer of her being with their barbed tongues.

She closed her fingers into fists even though it hurt.

"Terna, oh my God," Susan's arms were around her burning shoulders. The Lyall didn't look at her. The remnants of hair, frayed and ashy, fell in her face, but through the scorched strands she could make out the figure of the Doctor standing over her.

"You did a very foolish thing today, Terna," he declared.

"Grandfather," Susan started, but the Doctor cut her off.

"No, she needs to know what the rash nature of her actions cost us." He dropped to his knees so he and Terna were eye level. Slowly, she rose her own eyes to meet his.

"By running away you put all of us at risk. In the Daleks capturing you, they could have been able to pinpoint our location in the forest and sent an attack to destroy the Thals. You forced us to throw together a hasty plan that would cost many lives. We needn't have attacked, we needn't have fought. We could have thought of a better plan if we'd been given more time. But no, you forced us to act when you charged into battle. Now, we've lost the fluid link as well, and we can never leave this world, and people died, Terna. People died."

The Doctor looked as though he wanted to continue, but his words would have been drowned out by the sound of Terna's sobs.

It was the most horrible, heart-wrenching sound either of the two Gallifreyans had ever heard. It was like Terna's grief, her pain, her anger, was all pouring out of her body, ripping through her and cutting her apart to escape from within her now ravaged form.  
She screamed and cried and clutched at her aching chest as though her heart was shattering into a million pieces right there on the floor.

Slowly, Susan put her arms around Terna's shoulders.

Without a word, the Doctor shrugged off his coat and passed it to Susan, who gently draped it around the Lyall's form, covering the tattered remains of her blue halter dress and the horrible burns that now covered most of her back and shoulders.

Terna acknowledged neither of them; it was like her grief had consumed her, like there was nothing else for her to do but sob.

()()()

The flow of energy stopped its feed from the computers in only a matter of minutes. Alydon and Ganatus watched with satisfaction at the video feeds on the monitor which showed footage from the south gate of the rest of the Thal forces taking care of the remaining Daleks, now immobile due to their loss of power.

"Ian!" Barbara rushed up behind them. "Look. It's the Doctor and Susan." She pointed to another video screen depicting a scene from within the building. "And Terna's with them!"

"Are they alright?" Ian inquired.

Barbara squinted at the fuzzy image. "I think so. I can't really tell."

"That looks like a boiler room," Alydon mused. "It would be on the lower most level of the compound."

"Let's go with them then!" Ian declared. "Then we can all get out of here."

The two humans and two Thals headed down to the lower level without any opposition; it seemed that the Daleks had been fully destroyed.

As the lift opened up on the ground floor, a small, slight figure ran into view, holding a spear aloft as though he had the intent to skewer any living being that happened through the door.

"Armis!" Alydon exclaimed, halting the young Thal boy in his tracks.

"Alydon?" Armis's face broke into a wide grin. "You're alright," he exclaimed, rushing forward to hug the older man around the waist.

"Yes, we all are now," Alydon replied, returning Armis's hug with a smile. He turned to Ian and Barbara, "And if it wasn't for your help and leadership, we couldn't have achieved what we did today. Thank you."

"Thanks to you as well," Ian replied with a solemn nod. "Now. Let's go get the Doctor, Susan, and Terna."

Armis stepped aboard as Ian punched the 'down' button and the lift descended below ground.

The boiler room was a cramped, narrow space, dark due to the loss of power.

At the back of the room, a monstrous furnace burned, providing the only light. It's glow illuminated two figures crouched on the floor around a hunched form of some dark creature who was gasping and wincing in apparent pain.

"Doctor?" Alydon stepped forward. One of the figures turned to reveal the Doctor's face in the half-light; his expression grim.

"Susan, are you alright?" Barbara asked, rushing forward. Susan glanced her way just as the hunched form sat up. Barbara gasped. Terna's face was covered in an array of burns, spread across her skin in a pattern of scarlet marks pocketing the backs of her hands, her arms, her shoulders and thighs, creeping along her hairline and down the back of her neck. Most of her hair was missing, what remained hung thin and frayed off the sides of her head.

"What happened?" Armis wondered, wandering over curiously.

"The Dalek tried to throw her into the furnace," Susan explained. "She put herself at risk to save us; the Daleks would have killed us otherwise."

Barbara glanced at Terna; she didn't meet her gaze. Tears streaked along her seared face.

"Are you alright, Doctor?" Alydon inquired.

The Time Lord nodded. "I suppose. The battle is won, after all; the Daleks have been destroyed."

"But what about the spoils?" Ian inquired, stepping forward. "The fluid link, I mean," he added to the Doctor.

The Doctor bit his lip. "I'm afraid the Daleks destroyed it."

"What?!" Barbara exclaimed, breaking away from Terna as she was attempting to aid Susan in helping the Lyall to her feet.

"Destroyed?" Ian exclaimed. "What do you mean destroyed?"

"Exactly what I said," the Doctor replied. "I'm sorry. Truly, I am."

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Barbara whispered.

"No, I'm afraid not," the Doctor replied. "The fluid link is gone."

Suddenly, a small, dry voice spoke up. "Fluid link? You mean this one?"

Everyone whipped towards the one who had spoken; Terna reached into the pocket of her dress's remains and produced the shaped glass tube, slightly smudged and sooty but intact.

"Terna, where did you get that?" Susan exclaimed.

"I managed to snatch it up before it fell into the fire with the rest of the stuff," Terna explained simply.

"Brilliant!" the Doctor cried, seemingly startling Terna somewhat as he rushed forward and snatched the link from her grasp. "Oh, Terna, I could kiss you."

"Please don't."

"Oh thank god," Barbara exclaimed with a sigh of relief as she and Ian hugged.

"So, it's over then?" Susan whispered as Terna stumbled heavily, and Armis rushed over to help her hold the Lyall up.

"It would appear so," the Doctor replied.

Just then a loud bang echoed throughout the narrow space. Everyone whipped around towards the sweltering furnace. A half-second past before a second, louder bang was heard from within the huge machine, blasting the furnace door clean off its hinges.  
The horrid shape of the half-melted Dalek leader loomed in the doorway. Chunks of its armor hung from the circular base in huge melted piles, dripping down the sides in thick rivets of silver. The halved plunger dropped from its face like a flimsy bit of rubber. But the gun still glowed its sickly green as the Dalek lumbered forward, gun trained on the first living being it could find as it shrieked:

"The. Daleks. Will. Live. On! We. Are. Invincible! Exterminate! Exterminate!"

"Armis!" Alydon started forward as the Dalek turned its gun on the young Thal boy.

Susan screamed, and Armis gave a shout.

The Dalek fired its gun; the green light streaked towards the boy, but it was suddenly deflected by a flash of gold and sent hurtling back at the Dalek. The blast collided with the creature in the dead center of its bulky frame. A series of crackles snaked throughout the Dalek's melted form before it finally crumbled and gave way, collapsing into a pool of melted metal and sickly green slime.

"Armis," Alydon rushed over to the young Thal who was trembling. Susan stared at the Dalek's remains in shock as Terna leaned heavily on her, her golden sword still trained on the destroyed creature.

Gently, Alydon reached out and lowered Terna's arm. Her eyes rose to meet his, wide with surprise. "Thank you," he whispered.

Terna's mouth parted, but she said nothing.

"Is that the last of them?" Ian asked.

"Yes," Terna whispered.

"Then let's get out of here," the Doctor declared. "We have everything we need now."

Alydon glanced over at the puddle of melted Dalek in the middle of the floor. "It's finished. The final war: five hundred years of destruction ends in this."

The Doctor regarded him thoughtfully. "No doubt you'll have other wars to fight."

Alydon looked at him. "All this machinery, what are we supposed to do with it?"

"I'm sure you'll put it to great use," Barbara replied brightly.

"Yes, the Daleks have a way to grow food by artificial sunlight," Ian added. "You and your people have everything you need now."

"Yes that is true," Alydon mused as the others all filed out of the room, Susan and Armis both helping Terna as she stumbled along. Alydon turned to follow but he glanced over his shoulder to take one last look at the remains of the Leader Dalek. "I just wish there had been some other way."

()()()

"Ow."

"Sorry."

"Ow! God!" Terna gritted her teeth, shying away from Susan's hand as she attempted to apply more of the pasty, mint green ointment to her face.

"I'm sorry, Terna, but you have to hold still," the young Time Lady urged, slightly exasperated as Terna flinched away yet again.

The Lyall grimaced as she finally fell still and allowed Susan to smear some of the cream onto her cheek. She bit her lip, feeling a new sting throb against her burns. "Is it supposed to be this painful, or are you-Ah! _Stupri stercore_!" Terna cried out in her native tongue as the cream was dabbed on a particularly sensitive spot.

"I know it hurts, but this medicine will make you feel better," Susan attempted to soothe her as Terna flopped back against the petrified tree she was sitting under on the edge of the Thal camp.

"I doubt it," Terna grumbled miserably, turning to glance at the Thals, who were all gathered together in groups of silent mourning. A few of their eyes met her gaze: stern, cold, some a bit weary. "I don't seem to be very popular at the moment," Terna mused, dropping her eyes with a bitter smile.

"They lost some good men today," Susan replied simply.

Terna chuckled, but it was without humor. "Yes, and without my reckless actions, they wouldn't have needed to launch an attack in the first place. Oh well, I suppose it's just a few more guiltless souls to add to my conscious." Her voice trailed off after a minor flinch of pain.

Susan, meanwhile, had finished with the ointment; she eyed the Lyall curiously, noting her eyes swimming with pain, as she caped the cream container and reached for a roll of bandages.  
"I've been meaning to ask about that," Susan's voice was hesitant as she began to meticulously wrap the gauze around Terna's seared wrist. "In the city…" she paused for a moment, unsure of whether or not to continue.

Terna gave her a pointed look, so she kept talking. "The Leader Dalek, he said you'd run away…What did he mean."

Terna didn't respond right away. She averted her eyes, closing them as though all of the emotions inside threatened to spill out like tears or free-flowing blood. She took a deep breath, her chest heaving slightly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Susan quickly offered.

Terna shook her head. "No, it's alright." She reopened her eyes and gave Susan an unnervingly dry smile. "I find my inhibitions have diminished somewhat now that I bear a striking resemblance to burnt toast. Ah!"

Terna's smile flared up into a look of pain as Susan pulled the bandages too tightly. "Sorry!" the girl quickly apologized as she corrected the mistake and then went back to her methodical wrapping.

"It's fine." Terna shook off the look of pain, at least the physical kind, her gaze drifting over Susan's head and towards the waning sun as it sank low into the grey tree line like the last dying coal in a fire before it vanished into the ash. She took another deep breath. "When I was a still a little girl, my people held dominion over hundreds of planets in dozens of galaxies: the Great Lyall Empire."

"Yes, I heard about that in history class," Susan exclaimed.

"Indeed. Well, all of the planets we oversaw had been directly created by the Lyall people, one of which was Skaro."

Susan gaped. "Your people_ created_ Skaro?"

"One of us did," Terna replied. "They put two races on it: the Thals, peaceful creatures of sicence and technology and another race of bloodthirsty warriors."

"The Daleks," Susan interjected.

Terna nodded. "Yes, but back then they were called the Kaleds."

"So, what happened?"

Terna bit her lip. "The war, of course, well, the first war that is: the War of A Hundred Centuries., a thousand year battle that raged across this once beautiful world and crushed it into oblivion. The brutality of one side was unrivaled except by the other. Hatred between Kaleds and Thals had burned so deep and for so long that its origin, the reason for the war in the first place, soon became lost."

"Who won?" Susan whispered.

Terna first responded with another humorless smile. "The Kaleds of course, or the Dalek rather. You see, towards the end of the war, both races were so beaten down they had barely the strength to maintain their defenses, so they were left in a stalemate. However, unbeknownst to the Thals, Kaled scientists were hard at work in an underground bunker building a super weapon."

"The Daleks," Susan's eyes were wide with understanding.

"Yes, they claimed it was the next stage in Kaled evolution."

"So, those creatures inside the Daleks armor, they were once Kaleds?" Susan asked.

Terna nodded, feeling a shiver go down her spine at the thought of those abominations that stirred inside the Dalek machines. "Yes. We don't know how they did it, but the Kaleds somehow managed to remove the Force Amina from the core of their being, becoming cold empty shells with no emotion or rationality, only bloodlust."

"So, they destroyed the Thals," Susan stated.

"They destroyed everyone," Terna asserted. "The Daleks turned against their Kaled creators; they obliterated them, and then went after the Thals. In the end, everything had been decimated." Susan could see it clearly now, the darkness in Terna's eyes, in her expression, filling her entire being, that she'd only seen in passing before was now before her clearly and openly as Terna spun this terrible web of a story with the young Time Lady caught in its trap like a helpless butterfly.

"My people," Terna continued. "The Lyall, we watched from the side lines for so long, by the time we saw fit to intervene, it was too late."

"They came after you next," Susan deduced.

"You heard what the Leader Dalek said," Terna spat. "His race was the first in the history of the universe created without Amina. They believed they were the beginning of a new universe, one without Lyall. So, they attacked; they convinced other systems that we oversaw to rise up against us. Chaos ensued; it was all we could do to hold the Empire together. But it didn't matter; the Daleks surged forward: an unstoppable force, killing anything that wasn't on their side. They even destroyed their own allies. They beat us back; we lost ground until, finally, they invaded Eedonya, my home world."

Terna stopped suddenly as though all of the air had suddenly been sucked from her lungs.  
"Terna?" Susan placed a hand on her shoulder, but Terna shook it off.

"I remember: the sky was raining fire, people ran screaming towards the Capitol City's center. They flooded the palace gates. My mother told me to hide, to get our remaining subjects to safety. We had lost so much ground and so many lives. I…" Terna paused. "I herded everyone inside, hundreds of us all pressed together in the darkness; it was suffocating. The battle raged on outside; I could hear it coming closer, the pounding in my eras like a heartbeat, like a clock ticking away the seconds. I thought it was counting down to the end. I was afraid, so very afraid."

Terna glanced up to meet Susan's eyes, they were wide and earnest and so very innocent. "The darkness, it was pressing in from all sides, the terror was suffocating. I...I desperately needed to get away. I saw an opening, and I took it; I fled through the roots of the palace and out of the city. I was safe; I was unscathed, but the people I'd left behind." Terna paused, making an odd choking sound as though she might be sick.

When she spoke again, her voice was barely a whisper, so Susan had to lean in close to make her out properly. "The Daleks, they burned the palace to the ground; the whole city went up in flames. I watched from the moor as my home burned, no one else made it out."

Terna paused to look at Susan again. Her expression was unreadable.  
"Eventually, my parents, siblings, and the remainder of our forces were forced to retreat. They found me on the city's edge, the only survivor. No one knew what I had done, that I wasn't strong enough, that I was selfish and fled to save myself and leave countless others to burn."

Wordlessly, Susan reached up to begin to gently wrap the bandages around Terna's burned face; she didn't flinch away, her body as still as stone. "The Leader Dalek was right," she whispered. "I do deserve to die."

"No, Terna. You-" Susan started, but the Lyall cut her off.

"I lost so much that day: my family and our remaining subjects had nothing but the clothes on their backs. We fled to the Wastes at the edge of the universe, and the Daleks destroyed Eedonya, reducing it to dust. The Daleks took my home, my people, and my honor."

Tears brimmed in the corners of Terna's eyes, they burned like venom against her raw cheeks. Susan gently reached up and touched the bandaged side of her face, her smooth fingers brushing the rough gauze. Terna's fingers curled into fists. "When I remembered what the Daleks had done to us I grew so angry."

"You have every right to despise them," Susan declared.

Terna shook her head. "Not angry at them, angry at myself. Remembering what I'd done, the pain of it was consuming me. I needed to do _something. _I desperately wanted to regain my honor, to avenge my people. I needed," Terna faltered slightly. "I needed to be brave." Her lips curled into a small smirk, half hidden by the bandages around her face. "But that wasn't bravery; that was stupidity. That's all I am."

A tear slipped down the bandaged side of her face, moistening the gauze. "A stupid, cowardly Queen of a dead race, forgotten, crownless, and alone."

"You're not alone," Susan insisted.

Terna looked at her. "Yes, I am. I have no one left and nothing to live for!"

"Terna!" Susan grabbed Terna by the shoulders and shook her slightly to silence her. The Lyall looked at her, the pain flowing in rivets from her eyes, the tears looked almost scalding in the half-light of the coming twilight, much like the fire that had marred her face.

Susan's grip slackened slightly. "Terna, I'm not going to pretend I know what you're supposed to do now, but you survived. You have this life; it shouldn't go to waste. Your people were destroyed, but you survived. There must be a reason you crashed into the TARDIS; the universe still needs you for something."

Terna gently wiped the tears from her face, soaking the gauze still further. "For what? What could the universe possibly need me for? I didn't even remember what had happened to my own people when I first entered the TARDIS; I lived on the lie the Daleks told my people."

"I can't answer that, Terna," Susan replied, shaking her head. "No one knows where our lives will take us, only time will tell."

"Time. Ha!" Terna laughed emptily as she leaned back against the tree.

Susan meanwhile had just finished wrapping up the rest of her shoulder burns. "There. All done," she declared.

Terna glanced down at the bandages. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. I do hope you'll take what I said to heart," Susan replied.

The corners of Terna's mouth turned up slightly, the tinge of perhaps her first genuine smile in a while. "Out of the mouths of babes," she mused. "I just wish I knew where those false memories came from in the first place."

Susan arched an eyebrow. "You mean, you don't know?"

Terna shook her head. "No. The Gyrum didn't restore all of my memories: bits and pieces are still missing, the circumstances that resulted in me crashing into the TARDIS for instance."

"I'm sure it will come back eventually," Susan encouraged.

"Yeah, I suppose," Terna glanced up at the steadily growing twilight. "I guess it's no surprise; I've always had memory issues."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean I know who I am; I'm not amnesiac or anything," Terna insisted. "I just don't remember much from my childhood, most of the things that happened to me as a child I was told about by other people. I don't remember them myself."

Susan raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Terna shrugged. "I don't know. I guess things get kinda fuzzy when you've lived as long as I have."

"How long have you lived?" Susan inquired.

Terna didn't respond right away; she was too busy fingering her newly recovered infinity symbol ring that she'd found in the woods a few days back. "It's like I told you and Barbara, Susan; 'Eternal' is more than a name."

Susan's eyes widened. "Terna, how old are you?"

Terna paused, seeming to think about it. "Difficult to say, I'm older than time at least, much older."

Susan gasped quietly. "So, it's true: the rumors about Lyall, that they're really-"

"What?" Terna cut her off. "Immortal?"

Susan pursed her lips. "Yeah."

"Well, we are," Terna declared. "I am."

"But how is that possible?" Susan inquired.

"Because I'm timeless, Susan. I am without time because I was born before it and lived outside it. It has no influence on me."

"That's incredible," Susan marveled.

Terna gritted her teeth. "I suppose, but living now, in this temporal world, in this meat suit; it's a bit uncomfortable."

"I'm sorry."

"Make do, I suppose," Terna replied, waving a hand dismissively. As she did so, one of the bandages around her wrist came loose. "Shit."

"Here. I've got it," Susan exclaimed as Terna attempted to adjust it. She watched as the young Time Lady leaned forward and expertly rewound the bandage. As she did so, Terna caught a glimpse of something dark against Susan's pale skin: a tattoo of a series of numbers:

**1-18**

For some reason, the sight of the mark stirred a soup of uneasiness in the pit of Terna's stomach. "Susan, where did you get that tattoo?"

Susan paused, glancing down at the mark on her forearm as though she'd forgotten it was there. "It's not a tattoo; it's a brand," she explained simply.

Terna quirked a brow. "I didn't know the Time Lords made habit of branding their citizens."

"It's not _that_ kind of brand," Susan asserted, shaking her head. "Remember when I told you how I was brought up in an orphanage?"

"Yeah."

"Well, when I was eight and eligible for school, I was drafted into a special program for a unique form of instruction," Susan explained. "I'm a rare blood, you see; I come from a long line of powerful Time Lords, and I've inherited certain talents that this program wanted to explore. I was handpicked for the project along with several other Time Lords and Ladies of all ages and walks of life."

"Was you're grandfather a part of this too?" Terna inquired.

"Yes. It's how we met," Susan continued. "He was assigned as my mentor. He had a lot of experience since he'd been a part of the program since he was a kid." Susan paused. "At first, it was really fun; Grandfather and I went on these assignments together, tasks the program runners wanted us to complete. It was so exciting to leave Gallifrey and explore. We did that for a long time but then…" Susan's voice trailed off.

"Susan?"

"This program," Susan licked her drying lips. "The organization that ran it called themselves Renaissance, "rebirth", and they called the program the 'God Project'. We didn't know when they recruited us, why they wanted people with rare and unique aspects; we didn't know what the God Project was for."

Terna shifted uncomfortably. That name, Renaissance. A feeling like pins and needles raced up and down her limbs, and she doubted it was from the burn wounds. "What was it for?"

Susan didn't respond. Instead, she slowly undid the top three buttons of her sweater. Beneath the soft wool, her exposed skin showed a series of puncture wounds peppered across her chest, blackened and coarse with age. "The God Project was trying to create a god, a 'perfect being' they called it," Susan explained. "They were desperate; it seemed like their lives depended on it. They did whatever they deemed necessary to complete the project."

Terna slowly reached forward and faintly traced one of the puncture wounds on Susan's chest. "And they did that to you?"

"They did worse to others," Susan explained simply as she redid the buttons on her shirt. "Grandfather has these scars on his neck."

Terna grimaced. "So, what did you do?"

"Over time, the experiments got worse and worse," Susan explained. "One time, they even shaved my head and drilled holes in my skull." As she spoke, the young Time Lady absentmindedly pulled at her brutally short strands of black hair.

Terna was aghast. "Why?"

"I don't know."

"So, how'd you get away?"

Susan shook her head. "I'm not sure. I was barely conscious at the time we escaped. Grandfather told me afterwards that something happened; he doesn't know what, but the God Project suddenly collapsed all at once."

"I still don't know what caused it."

"Grandfather," Susan exclaimed while Terna jumped about a foot in the air before turning to face the Doctor standing over her and Susan under their tree. She was admittedly surprised to see him as she was under the impression he and Alydon were still in the Thal city collecting specimens of Dalek machinery and checking the reactors in case of radiation leakage.

"Didn't you mother ever tell you it's rude to eavesdrop, Time Lord?"

The Doctor's brow creased as he dropped down beside the Lyall and handed her a shiny red apple. "I thought you might be hungry." He turned to Susan, his expression lightening into a playful smile. "Nurse, I relieve you of duty."

Susan grinned as she got to her feet. "I'll be right back, Terna. I'll see if I can find a new outfit for you in the TARDIS." With that, the girl crossed the clearing and disappeared into the TARDIS.

Terna and the Doctor watched her go, sitting sullenly in a momentary silence.

The Doctor cleared his throat. "That's twice now you've cheated me out of a perfectly good coat." He tapped the shoulder of his overcoat that was still draped across Terna's shoulders.

She smirked. "You can have it back, if you want, but I should warn you, it smells like a barbeque."

The Doctor wrinkled his nose, withdrawing his hand and leaning back against the tree. "Right." Out of the corner of her eye, Terna caught the Doctor glance her way.

She clicked her tongue pointedly. "Would you stop staring at me?"

The Doctor gritted his teeth. "Listen. I suppose I should probably apologize for what I said in the boiler room. It was uncalled for."

Terna dropped her gaze. "No, it wasn't. I deserved it."

"Yes, but you don't hold all of the blame," the Doctor insisted. "The fault is partially my own for insisting we explore the city. The fact is that I was simply angry because I thought we'd lost the fluid link. In short, I'm sorry; you were in pain, and I shouldn't have kicked you when you were down."

"No, you shouldn't have."

The Doctor chuckled. "There's that venom I've been missing."

Before Terna could respond, Susan reappeared. "Come on, Terna," she held out her hand to the Lyall. "I found an outfit for you to change into. Here. Let's get you out of that."

"Provided none of it's melted to my flesh," Terna replied as she allowed Susan to hoist her to her feet.

Susan paled slightly. "Terna…"

Terna regarded her, a sudden thought occurring to her. "You know, I never agreed to 'Terna'."

"You never objected to it either," Susan reminded her with a smile. "Now come on."

As Susan led Terna towards the TARDIS, she glanced over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of the Doctor staring after her, suspicion apparent in his eyes.

()()()

A short time later, Terna reemerged from the TARDIS with Susan in tow. The former was now dressed in a full length black dress with long sleeves and a blue sleeveless waterfall shall over it that was tied up in a knot under the bodice. A black and blue-trimmed scarf encircled Terna's head to hid her mostly missing hair.

The Doctor was sitting not far from the TARDIS with Alydon and Ganatus, a box of Dalek machinery taken from the sitting sat open between them.

"This is what they call a compensator, my friend," the Doctor explained, passing a device to Alydon.

"Which is?" Ganatus inquired as his friend took the machine and examined it keenly.

"It's useless," the Doctor replied dismissively. "Throw it away, unless you want to end up in a shell like our metal friends."

Terna's stomach turned somersaults at the thought of the Daleks. Although all of the Daleks in the city had been thoroughly destroyed, they had only been a small platoon. Terna didn't know how many of their forces had survived the Imperial Wars.  
The Daleks might still be out there somewhere.

"It was amazing!" The animated young voice of Dyoni's younger brother Armis drew Terna's attention over to where the small boy was gathered around a group of Thal children. "The Dalek was coming at me; I thought for certain I was dead, but then she pushed me out of the way and her hand grew into a sword!"

"My hand did not grow into a sword," Terna corrected, striding over to the group of children who all turned to face her, mouths agape in admiration. "It was this thing." Terna held aloft the magnifying glass; the flash of golden light drew the attention of everyone in the clearing as Terna swung the sword expertly through the air.

"How did you do that?" Susan exclaimed.

"It's a very special weapon," Terna explained, lowering the sword, so the swarming children could get a better view. "My people called them Claws, an extension of you arm that you poured your darkest and angriest Amina into and it became a weapon you could use."

"Can that thing become anything?" a small Thal girl asked.

Terna paused before rotating her sword through her fingers and the blade transformed into a spear, then a cane, then a key.

"That thing can become anything," Susan marveled.

"Anything you can hold in your hand," Terna replied.

"It's an all powerful weapon," the Time Lady exclaimed.

"Yes, I suppose it is somewhat an omnipotent device."

"It's an Omni-Vice!" Susan declared.

Terna smiled slightly. "Yeah, I kinda like that."

"It's so cool," Armis exclaimed, stepping forward. "Can I-Can I hold it?"

"I don't see why not," Terna replied, passing the weapon to him.

"I want to hold it next," the young Thal girl cried.

"Me too!"

"Me three!"

"I want to hold it!"

The children crowded around Armis as he fingered the sword.

"Terna," the Lyall spun around to find Alydon and Dyoni standing behind her. "We wish to give you our thanks for saving young Armis," the Thal leader declared.

"We are infinitely grateful," Dyoni added warmly.

Terna was puzzled. "But I-How can you be thanking me when I put all those people in danger?"

"We would have needed to fight sooner or later," Alydon asserted. "We simply needed a push."

Dyoni nodded as she took a step forward and placed her hand on Terna's shoulder. "And one life saved is a very significant thing indeed."

Over the Thal woman's shoulder, Terna caught sight of Susan grinning at her. She smiled slightly. "Thank you."

"No, thank you," Dyoni replied before hugging Terna firmly. The Lyall froze for a moment, unsure what to do, before she gingerly hugged her back.

When Dyoni released her, Armis came up to her, "Thank you," he held out her Omni-Vice.

Terna smiled, accepting the sword and ruffling his hair playfully.

"Well, I'm certainly glad everything worked out in the end. Believe me," the Doctor added to Alydon.

"As am I," Alydon agreed. He regarded the Doctor thoughtfully. "You know, there never seemed to have been time to ask, but we don't really know where you come from or why."

The Doctor smiled almost mischievously as Barbara and Ian strolled over with Ganatus close behind. "Never mind that," the Time Lord replied dismissively. "You have the opportunity to build a new world. How I even you."

Terna's grip tightened on her sword; there was new weight to the Doctor's words, and, perhaps it was merely her knowledge of them, but she could almost make out the faint weight scars at the Doctor's throat peeking out from behind his collar.

"Doctor, you must stay and help us," Alydon declared. "We could learn a lot from you."

"Oh, no, no, no," the Doctor shook his head. "I'm far too old to be a pioneer. Although, I was once amongst my own people, without even intending to be actually." He laughed slightly as though enjoying a private joke.

"Won't you stay and advise us, please?" Ganatus asked.

"No, no. I'm afraid we're all a bit too far from home. I appreciate the gesture though," the Doctor clapped Alydon on the shoulder good naturedly. "And I wouldn't worry, young man; you have everything you need right here."

"Well, won't you at least rest with us?" Dyoni offered. "Share a meal?"

"Thank you, but I think we best be getting on," the Doctor replied as Ian cleared his throat loudly. "We have places to be after all.

"By the way, Doctor, have you fitted the fluid link?" Ian inquired, walking over to the Doctor.

"Not yet, but I have it right here," the Doctor patted his pocket.

Ian nodded. "Good. Well, we best be going." He reached out and grasped Alydon's hand. "Goodbye, Alydon, Dyoni."

"Take care," Alydon replied solemnly.

"Goodbye, Ian," Dyoni added with a smile.

Susan hugged Alydon around the middle. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Goodbye, Ganatus," Ian regarded the new friend he had bonded with during their perilous trek across the Thal world.

Ganatus smiled, clapping Ian on the back. "Goodbye, my friend."

"Good, good," the Doctor declared, "Here, Chesterton, help me carry these samples into the TARDIS."

Ian and the Doctor then went off to heave a box filled with rock and plant samples from Skaro into the Time Machine; Susan followed close behind.

Barbara and Terna lingered, although the former looked as though she was about to follow the others, but Ganatus grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"Barbara?"

"Yes?"

Ganatus hesitated. Terna, meanwhile, became oddly engrossed in the sleeve of her new dress.

"I, uh, brought you something," Ganatus held up an ornate dress. "It's not exactly good for trekking through swamps and caves, but I thought you'd like it," he added with a weak smile.

Barbara grinned. "It's beautiful. Thank you, Ganatus."

Ganatus nodded. "I just wish…" his voice trailed off. Stiffly, he grasped Barbara's wrist and kissed her hand.

Barbara smiled warmly before leaning forward and gently kissing the Thal on the cheek. Ganatus stared at her in utter shock.

"Barbara, Terna, come on," Susan's voice prevented him from saying anything further as the human woman gave him one last farewell smile before she turned and stepped into the TARDIS.

Terna made to follow, but Dyoni stopped her.

"Here, Terna, a gift for you as well," she then handed the Lyall a bundle of garments. One was an ornate frock dress and the other one of the hexagonal patterned shawls. "The dress is for you, and the shawl is for Susan."

"Thank you," Terna whispered as she fingered the material of the dress.

"You know, it's funny," Dyoni's voice trailed off.

Terna glanced up. "What is?"

"Nothing, it's just," Dyoni paused, regarding Terna thoughtfully. "My people have this legend that hundreds of years ago, during the last days of the war against the Daleks, the Thals were almost destroyed, but we were saved by two strangers who came from the stars and liberated our people from the Daleks destruction and tyranny. These strangers names were Terna," Dyoni glanced towards the TARDIS, "And the Doctor."

Terna's heart skipped a beat. She stared at Dyoni, too stunned to speak.

"Of course, it couldn't possibly be you and _your_ Doctor," Dyoni hurriedly added. "I mean, those events would have happened hundreds of years ago. It must just be a coincidence."

Terna's grip tightened on the bundle of garments in her arms. "I don't believe in coincidence," she murmured.

"Terna! Get in here, or we're leaving without you," the Doctor's sharp remark finally ushered Terna into saying her final goodbyes to Alydon, Dyoni, Ganatus, and the rest of the gathered Thals, little Armis even gave her one last farewell hug before she stepped into the TARDIS, and the doors closed behind her.

"What took you so long?" the Doctor snapped as Susan rushed over to examine the cloak Dyoni had given her.

Terna glanced towards the Time Lord, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I think we might have just come full circle."

"What the devil are you talking about?" the Doctor demanded.

Terna shook her head. "Never mind."

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I need to freshen up a bit," Barbara declared, looking considerably flustered as she attempted to fix her dark fluffy hair.

"That's not a bad idea," Ian agreed.

"Susan, can you show us where we can wash up?" Barbara inquired. "I'm afraid all these corridors don't make any sense to me."

"Sure, right this way."

As soon as they'd left, the Doctor whirled on Terna, who was still leaning against the door. "Alright, my dear, I want you to start talking right now."

Terna blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me; I saw the look on your face when Susan was talking about Renaissance and the God Project. You know something, so tell me what it is."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Terna shot back.

"What are you two squabbling about now?" Susan demanded as she, Ian, and Barbara reentered the Console Room.

Before either of them could respond, the TARDIS suddenly lurched violently.

Everyone fell to the floor, and then it all went black.

* * *

A/N: Cling hanger once again, but it hopefully won't be as long of a wait. I apologize once again for being away for so long, I hope the chapter was worth the wait.  
Reviews are always appreciated!


	11. The Edge of Destruction

Chapter 11: The Edge of Destruction

* * *

The TARDIS slowly drifted through space, silent and lost like a cork bobbing in water.  
Its passengers lay sprawled about as motionless as corpses.

It was a long moment before anyone stirred.  
Groaning heavily, Barbara sat up; her puffed-up hair sticking up in the back as she massaged her bruised forehead and slowly shifted to her feet.

She moved in a kind of daze; she sluggishly shuffled forward around the Console, teetering slightly on her worn Thal sandals.

After a few paces, Barbara paused, blinking rapidly. She stared around the stark white interior of the time machine. Her eyes eventually found Ian, who was draped across the Egyptian throne, still apparently unconscious.

Barbara shook her head, trying to clear the haze of confusion clouding her brain. Where was she? What was going on? Was this Mr. Chesteron's office? Yes, it had to be.

"Mr…Mr. Chesteron?" Cautiously, Barbara leaned forward and lightly tapped Ian on the shoulder. He stirred, his eyelids fluttering slightly.

Barbara jumped when she heard a groan behind her and turned around just in time to see a small girl stagger to her feet; she was pale and petite, almost fairy-like; her short raven hair stuck out from her head on all sides as though she'd been electrocuted. Her expression was loose and dazed, like she was drunk.

Her eyes widened when they fell on Barbara, a spark of recognition giving way to clouded confusion. "I…I know you," Susan slurred.

Barbara was about to respond when Susan suddenly cried out; grabbing the side of her head, she staggered away from the Console.

"Have you hurt your head?" Barbara asked, half-reaching towards her.

"Yes, terribly; my neck hurts too," Susan replied through gritted teeth.

"Well, let me look at it," Barbara offered.

Susan faltered slightly before slowly lowering her hands from her head. "It's going away now," she whispered. "That's better. I…I couldn't think where I was."

"Do you want to sit down?" Barbara offered.

"No, it's alright. Grandfather!" Susan screamed, rushing over to the Doctor, who was lying on the ground as still as stone.

Barbara followed. "He's cut his head open," she declared as the young girl knelt down beside him.

"I'll get some ointment," Susan replied, her voice cracking slightly.

"Get some water too," Barbara added, stooping down so as to peer more closely at the Doctor's wounded forehead.

"Right." Susan got back up only to falter slightly, gripping her neck again.

She stumbled backward, nearly tripping over a blue and black draped finger lying curled up on her side under the Console.

Susan stared at the figure, her mouth hanging partially ajar. "Who's that?" she whispered.

"I don't like the look of this cut," Barbara muttered.

"Shouldn't we help the man in the chair?" Susan inquired, gesturing over to Ian.

"Susan, go get some water for you grandfather," Barbara repeated.

Susan turned to go, but stopped when a hand suddenly grabbed her ankle. She screamed and teetered on her one leg as she glanced down to see Terna peering up at her. The black and blue scarf had fallen loose from her head to reveal her singed roots. She regarded Susan incredulously.

Susan stared. "Who are you?"

Terna paused, sliding up into a sitting position. "I…I'm Terna. Yes, I believe that's what you call me."

"Oh." With that, Susan headed off to fetch the ointment and water.

Puzzled, Terna slowly rose to her feet and stared around. Where was she? It wasn't the palace or the city, or even Eedonya from the looks of things.

Oh no. It was a Dalek prison camp!  
Fear erupted in Terna's chest only to be instantly quelled when she turned and saw the TARDIS Console. She closed her eyes and shook her head. How foolish of her; she was in the TARDIS of course.

It was then that Terna caught sight of Ian still lying sprawled across the Egyptian throne in the corner. "Hey," Terna moved over to the partially conscious man. "That's my chair."

"What?" Ian staggered awake; blinking rapidly, he looked up at Terna. "Who are you?"

Terna quirked a brow. "You too?"

"You're working late tonight, Ms. Wright," Ian added distractedly, peering over Terna's shoulder at Barbara, who was still hovering over the Doctor.

He turned back to Terna. "Can I have a glass of water?"

"Susan's fetching some," Barbara replied.

"Susan Foreman, you mean?" Ian inquired.

"Can I sit down?" Terna asked, grimacing as she massaged her neck.

Ian hurriedly got to his feet, and Terna took his place on the throne. The human man looked back over at Barbara and the Doctor. "What's he doing there?"

"He's hurt his head," Barbara explained.

"Here. Let me see," Ian knelt down beside Barbara as Terna looked on.

"Silence," she murmured, putting her head in her hands as a funny tingling sensation slowly crept up her neck. "I've never heard silence this loud."

"Well, his heart and breathing seem alright," Ian deduced, "and I don't think that cut's as deep as you think."

"Terna?" The Lyall peered up between her fingers at Barbara. "Perhaps you could do that thing you did in the Cave of Skulls. Remember? When you healed him before?"

Terna blinked. "Oh, right…that." Slowly, she got to her feet and walked over to the Doctor. Kneeling down, she reached out her bandaged hand and gently pressed it to the Doctor's bloody forehead. He stirred slightly at her touch as Terna closed her eyes and attempted to concentrate her energies, but something was wrong. The Amina within her felt turbulent and untamable.

Terna removed her hand from the Doctor's forehead to see the cut had not healed.

"What happened?" Ian inquired.

Terna stared down at her hands. "I don't know. For some reason, I cannot concentrate my power."

"Why not? It worked before," Barbara stated.

"I know." Terna licked her dry lips, "But I suddenly can't seem to get a hold on myself."  
"Well, maybe it's because of the burns," Barbara offered. "Perhaps the power will come back once they've healed."

Terna traced the lining of her bandages thoughtfully. "Yeah, maybe."

At that moment, the Doctor groaned, his eyes fluttering slightly. "I can't take you back, Susan. I'm sorry, but I can't..."

"He's delirious," Ian mused.

"What do you suppose has happened?" Barbara wondered aloud. "This ship, the TARDIS, there was this great noise and then…I can't remember."

"Who knows?" Terna replied, hoisting herself to her feet.

Suddenly, there was a crash and a loud scream. Everyone whipped their heads towards the door leading to the corridors to see Susan standing on the threshold, her eyes wide with fright. "The doors!" she cried.

The other three glanced over to see the doors to the TARDIS had swung wide open. "They can't open on their own. They can't!" Frantically, the young Time Lady stepped over the shards of the broken water glass and hurried over to the other three.

"Perhaps he did it," Ian offered, pointing to the Doctor still on the floor.

"Grandfather?"

"Yes, before he cut his head open."

"No." Susan shook her head definitively. "He wouldn't, not while the ship was in flight."

"Well, then they must have been forced open when we crashed," Barbara declared.

"Crashed? But we didn't crash," Terna asserted. She faltered, "Did we?"

"No, the ship can't crash. It's impossible!" Susan seemed almost hysterical: her features pale with fright as she dropped to her knees beside the Doctor, her small frame trembling.

"It'll be alright, Susan," Barbara attempted to reassure her, but the girl shook her off.

"No, there's something here," Susan declared getting back to her feet and looking about her. "In the ship, can you feel it?"

"What?" Ian asked.

"But that's not possible." Barbara tried to sound confident, but her voice faltered as she glanced worriedly over her shoulder.

"You feel it; don't you, Terna?" Susan inquired of the Lyall. "I know that you do. I heard you whispering about the silence being loud."

Terna stared at her. "How could you-? You were in the other room when I said that."

"Oh, never mind that," Barbara hurriedly changed the subject, trying to suppress a horrid feeling caused by Susan's proclamation slowly creeping up on all of them. "Here. Give me the bandages."

Susan handed her former teacher the roll of gauze and some medicine. "The ointment is in that tube," she explained quietly. "It's initially green when it's placed on the bandage, and it goes inside the wound. When the bandage is white again, it means the wound has healed."

"Do you suppose Susan is right?" Ian inquired of Terna while the other two tended to the Doctor.

"About something getting in? How should I know?" Terna replied with a shrug. The motion caused her head scarf to droop into her eyes, and she hurriedly adjusted it so that it once again covered her damaged hair.

Almost on a whim, Ian strolled over towards the doors. Terna followed. "Is there something out there?" she inquired.

However, before Ian could get a proper look, the doors abruptly swung shut. He stared at the doors in surprise before spinning back around to face Terna. "Did you do that?"

She shook her head.

"Did either of you?" Ian called to Susan and Barbara, both of whom had also witnessed the doors sporadically closing.

Susan shook her head, her eyes very wide. "We haven't moved," she whispered.

Ian glanced back at the doors before taking a tentative step back. Terna moved up to them and gently placed a hand on the smooth, white surface. The substance felt almost hot beneath her fingers and not the usual pulsing warmth of the TARDIS but a legitimately uncomfortable feeling like the top of a stove after it's just been cooking something.

Suddenly, the doors swung open again, nearly knocking Terna off her feet as she staggered back, and Ian grabbed her shoulders to steady her.

They exchanged a glance before Terna righted herself and both then walked towards the doors, but they slammed shut once again before either could get a good look outside.

"You don't suppose the crash triggered some kind of automatic switch?" Ian offered. "You know, like the automatic doors at the mall."

"What's a mall?" Terna asked.

Susan watched them mess with the doors, seeming to become more and more nervous. "I'm going to try the controls," she declared, rushing over to the Console.

"Susan, no!" Terna cried without thinking, but it was too late. As soon as she touched a lever, Susan recoiled with a cry of pain, her whole body going rigid as though she'd been shocked.

"No!" she screamed.

"Susan!" Terna rushed to her side just as the young girl collapsed beside her grandfather.

The ghost of Terna's fear from before resurfaced as she quickly crouched down beside the young Time Lady, and fumbled for a pulse. One…no two. Two? Was that normal? Well, better than none she supposed. The Lyall dared to breathe a sigh of relief.

"It's alright," she declared, straightening up. "She's just fainted."

"But she was alright a minute ago," Ian protested, moving away from the doors. "What happened?"

"A while before that we were _all _unconscious," Barbara reminded him.

"Right," Ian trailed off as he looked around him once more, his hand slowly reaching forward as though grasping for something and then dropping back downward as though he'd forgotten what he'd been attempting to grab. He paused, staring at seemingly nothing, before he bent forward, putting his head in his hands. "What's going on here?" he demanded.

"Susan?" the Doctor's slurred speech was the only response to Ian's question.

"He's beginning to stir," Barbara announced, kneeling back down beside him. Faintly, the Doctor reached towards her, seeming to view her as something else entirely judging from the hazed look in his eyes. "My head," he moaned.

"You've cut your forehead," Barbara explained, "but you'll be alright."

"No, it hurts here," the Doctor gestured to a spot behind his ear.

"Here? There's no bump or bruise," Barbara observed, leaning in closer.

"It hurts…my neck," the Doctor murmured.

Terna looked at the Doctor, her expression bemused before she glanced at Susan, then at Ian. "Here. Help me carry Susan to the sick bay," she said to the latter.

"Alright," Ian bent down and grabbed hold of Susan's ankles while Terna hooked her arms under her elbows.

As one, they hoisted her limp body off the ground. "We're putting Susan to bed," Ian informed Barbara, who was still fussing over the Doctor. "If anything happens, let me know."

"What could happen?" Barbara demanded as he and Terna turned to leave.

Ian faltered. "I don't know."

"Never mind," Terna urged as the two carried Susan out of the Console Room and down the hall towards the sick bay.  
Although neither of them had been there before, they found the room fairly easily, which Terna felt was rather strange but decided not to dwell on it as she and Ian gently lowered Susan onto one of the black L-shaped cots.

Her body was as limp as a doll's, her head lolling slightly to the side with her black hair still sticking out from her scalp.  
Cautiously, Terna reached forward and gingerly brushed a few stray locks from Susan's eyes before reaching forward to properly drape her arms over her waist and fix her leg from hanging over the side of the bed.

"Any fever?" Ian inquired. Terna felt her forehead.

"I don't think so. Fetch me some water."

"Water…Right," Ian wandered over towards what he assumed was a sink. He found a wide variety of buttons sprawled across a kind of panel-like surface with a small dish at the base.  
He stared at it for a few moments before experimentally pressing a few buttons; there was a series of beeps and then a small plastic bag slid out onto the dish.

Ian picked it up to find, to his surprise, it was filled with ice cold water. "Huh, handy," the human mused as he quickly ripped open the bag and dabbed some of the liquid onto his handkerchief.

"Here." He passed it to Terna, who slowly draped the moist cloth over Susan's sweaty forehead. As she did so, the Lyall couldn't help but laugh grimly to herself.  
Not an hour ago, Susan had been nursing her wounds, bandaging her up with ointment and gauze, and now here she was returning the favor, although to a lesser extent of course.

"Is she alright?" Ian asked. Terna jumped, she had almost forgotten he was there.

"Uh, yeah, I think so," she replied, straightening up and turning to him. "Maybe you should go see how Barbara's getting on?"

"Well, alright. If you think you've got things covered here," Ian replied simply before heading out of the sick bay back towards the Console Room.

Terna watched him go and was just beginning to feel that funny prickling feeling returning to her neck when she turned around to find Susan wide awake and kneeling on the cot, holding a pair of scissors out in front of her like some kind of weapon.

Terna stared in surprise as the young Time Lady regarded her with a poised, cold expression.  
"Susan, what are you doing?" Terna reached forward in an attempt to take the scissors from her.

"No." She was taken aback by the harshness in Susan's voice as she brandished the scissors in a more threatening manner, gripping them tightly. Terna froze, blinking in shock.

"Who are you?" Susan demanded, her voice oddly flat.

"Susan," Terna exclaimed in surprise. "It's me. Here, give me those scissors." She tried once again to take them.

Susan jerked her arm as though she intended to strike, and Terna leapt back on reflex. She'd barely done so before Susan lunged forward.

Hardly thinking, Terna reached for the Omni-Vice magnifying glass in her pocket, but stopped when Susan's body suddenly stiffened, she threw her head back with a cry of apparent pain.

"Susan?" Terna cautiously asked, taking a tentative step forward.

"No! NO!" Susan shrieked, and Terna jerked back as the young girl began viciously stabbing the scissor blade repeatedly into the cot, shrieking with growing intensity on each blow.

Terna stared at her, not believing the apparent brutality she was witnessing. What was going on? What the actual _hell_ was happening?

Susan continued to attack the cot for only a few moments more before she suddenly stopped and slumped forward; lying draped across the cot apparently unconscious again as the scissors fell from her grasp and clattered to the floor.

Terna stood rooted to the spot, staring at Susan with a look of complete horror.

()()()

When Terna left the medical bay, she found the others in a side living area off the Console Room gathered around a small table. The Doctor was sitting on a leather sofa, his head heavily bandaged.

Ian looked up upon her entering. "Is Susan asleep?"

"I guess you could call it that," Terna replied, setting the scissors down on the table beside the sofa.

"No, no, no, the ship must have stopped and put us down somewhere," the Doctor declared, seeming to respond to an inquiry of Barbara's.

"But where?" the human woman demanded. "Where are we?"

"Oh, all these questions, Ms. Wright," the Doctor complained, rubbing his wounded forehead.

"Is it possible we haven't landed at all?" Terna offered. "I mean, we're not in flight, but we might not have landed either. Perhaps we're in some kind of neutral setting, hovering in mid-air...er, space."

"I suppose it's possible," the Doctor replied thoughtfully.

"You don't even know, do you?" Barbara exclaimed in exasperation. "You're just guessing." With that, she stalked out of the room and into the Console Room.

When Barbara entered, she found it dark. "Can we have some light in here?" she called, almost nervously.  
"What for?" the Doctor called back.

Perplexed, Terna settled down on the sofa beside the Doctor. No matter what, she couldn't shake this funny feeling she was having, a feeling like something was crying out to her from out of the shadows.

"Have you any idea where we are, Doctor?" Ian asked.

"Where is not as important as why, young man," the Doctor asserted. "I must go and check the fault locater again," he added, hoisting himself to his feet and heading back to the Console Room.

Ian followed after a moment, while Terna lingered on the couch. She closed her eyes, still trying to shake that odd feeling.

_Help me._

Terna's eyes snapped open, looking around frantically but seeing nothing. Shaking her head, she got to her feet and headed to the Console Room to join the others.

Ian and the Doctor were milling about the controls while Barbara stood off to the side, watching them. "Everything's in a mess," Ian declared.

"You didn't touch the controls did you?" the Doctor asked him.

"No."

"Or you?" the Doctor asked Barbara.

The human woman glared at him before stalking out of the room once more.

"What about you, Terna?" the Doctor asked, seeing her lingering on the threshold. The Lyall shook her head.

"I know Susan wouldn't," the Doctor mused.

"I'm worried about her," Terna declared, walking over to him and Ian. "What would have caused a temporary memory lapse like that?"

"I was thinking." Terna jumped and turned to see Barbara had reentered the room. "Do you suppose something could have gotten _into_ the ship?"

"No. No, of course not," the Doctor asserted.

"You mean, when the doors were open?" Terna asked.

"No, it's ridiculous," the Doctor replied.

"What do you even mean, Barbara?" Ian demanded, "That some kind of animal or something could have gotten into the ship?" He laughed nervously.

"Yes," Barbara replied simply.

"It's not very logical, is it?" the Doctor stated.

"In my experience, logic is a bit overrated," Terna replied with a shrug. "Perhaps some kind of sentience did manage to get in here. It's entirely possible, what with the doors continuously opening and closing like that."

"Terna's right," Barbara agreed. "Things aren't always logical. And, after all we've been through, perhaps…" Her voice trailed off.

"Look, I've been very patient with you, Ms. Wright," the Doctor snapped, "But I haven't the time for these absurd theories. It's probably an electrical fault, or mechanical, or maybe the entire main unit. I don't know." The Doctor continued to ramble as he moved about the Console. "I just don't know, but I'm very worried about the whole thing. Young man," he called to Ian, "I think you'll have to help me with the fault locater since Susan's unable."

Terna rolled her eyes. "Sure, go play with your instruments," she called after the Doctor as he crossed the room towards the fault locater with Ian close behind, "You closed-minded fool!"

"Terna, perhaps you should go see if Susan's alright," Barbara offered.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Terna turned to go back to the med-bay, but Barbara grabbed her arm. "Don't tell her about something being in the ship, the less said, the better."

Terna nodded mutely, before exiting the Console Room.

"Best keep away from the console for the time being," Ian advised the Doctor. "It might give you an electric shock."

The Doctor nodded. "Right. Well, the fault locater is over here on this far wall." He led Ian over to the elaborate mechanical system spread out across the wall in the corner of the Console Room.

The Doctor paused in his examination of the system to lean his head the cool metal wall. "Are you alright?" Ian inquired.

"Yes. It's just these numbers keep blurring before my eyes," the Doctor explained.

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Yes, if you would just take a look at that screen there," the Doctor replied, stepping back to allow Ian a closer look.

The latter squinted at the screen, but his vision also went fuzzy when he tried to scrutinize the readings.

()()()

Meanwhile, Terna cautiously made her way into the medical bay, trying to make her movements as slow and unthreatening as possible. Susan was lying where she'd left her: flat on her back on the cot, her arms crossed over her chest, her pale skin seeming to almost shine under the harsh lighting of the room. With her fair skin, dark hair, and still posture, she reminded Terna of the old Earth story of Snow White. Susan's eyes were closed and the cloth was still draped across her forehead.

Tentatively, Terna leaned forward and felt the cloth to find that it had dried. She turned toward the sink to get more water to wet it when Susan's eyes suddenly opened.  
"You're awake," Terna exclaimed. "Feeling better?"  
Susan's expression was unreadable. She didn't respond, simply stared at the Lyall.

Terna leaned in closer. "Susan? You do remember who I am, don't you?"  
"Of course I do," Susan finally replied. "You're Terna."

Terna breathed a sigh of relief in spite of herself. The incident before, when Susan had claimed not to remember her, which had resulted in trying to attack her with a pair of scissors had disturbed the Lyall Queen quite a bit. However, she wouldn't let her worries show. As Barbara had instructed, she needed to try and keep Susan, the most emotionally volatile of the group, as calm as possible until their situation had been sorted.

"Why did you ask me?" Susan inquired as Terna removed the dry cloth and turned to wet it in the sink. "There's nothing wrong with me."

"No, of course not," Terna replied as she dispensed more water from the machine.

"Where's Grandfather?" Susan demanded.

"In the Console Room with Ian and Barbara," Terna replied, fumbling slightly with the water bag. She wasn't used to this kind of thing, and her bandaged fingers weren't helping.

"Have they found out what's wrong?"

"You're grandfather thinks there might be a power failure or something," Terna replied, keeping her back to Susan as she finally managed to tear open the water bag. It ripped clean in two, causing the water to explode all over the sink with a loud splash. "Damn it."

"Why did you ask me if I knew who you were?"

Terna stared down at her hands; the water had soaked through her bandages, causing them to stick to her skin in stringy clumps.

She dared a glance over her shoulder to see Susan glaring at her from her spot on the cot. Eyes never wavering, she closed her small hand around the scissors.

Terna's heart skipped a beat. _How did she get those back? Damn, she must have slipped out of the med bay when I was in the Console Room with the others._ Terna cursed her own foolishness.

"Susan, give me those scissors."

"No."

"Give them to me." Terna whirled around and made a move to grab the blades from Susan's hand, but the young girl held them aloft, their sharp tips turned on the Lyall.

Her hand crept towards the hilt of her Omni-Vice jutting out of her dress pocket. "Susan, I don't want to hurt you."

"You said there'd been a power failure." Susan's voice was cold, impassive

"No, I said that's what your grandfather thinks," Terna corrected her.

"I overheard you talking," Susan asserted, her grip tightening on the scissors. "There's something in the ship, and they don't want you to tell me."

"Susan, give me the scissors," Terna snapped.

"No! You lied to me," Susan cried.

"Susan." Terna took a deep breath. "I don't want to hurt you; you know that I don't." Slowly, she pulled the Omni-Vice from her pocket. "Now, give me the scissors."

Susan lunged. Terna ducked behind her, snatching her wrist and twisting it behind the young girl's back. She cried out as her grip slackened, and Terna managed to pry the scissors from her hands.

Susan whimpered in pain, and Terna quickly released her, allowing her to flop back down against the cot.  
She lay there, looking dazed at the far wall. Terna watched her, stepping back against the wall, the scissors clutched in one hand, the Omni-Vice in the other.

"Is everything alright in here?" Barbara entered at that moment, pausing on the threshold to regard the two aliens, her expression perplexed. "What's happened?"

"Nothing," Terna replied, shoving herself off the wall and stuffing both the scissors and the Omni-Vice back into her pocket.

"I used to think they were just shadows," Susan mused. "It's so quiet in the ship."

Barbara pursed her lips. "Yes, well, we're just imagining things."

"Silence is a friend that never betrays," Terna said aloud.

"Confucius," Susan added bitterly.

"But we must be imagining things," Barbara insisted, walking quickly across the room to the other two. "I mean, how would something get in the ship?"

"The doors were open," Susan reminded her.

"But where would it hide?" Barbara cried.

"The ship's big enough," Terna stated with a shrug, "Or perhaps it doesn't have a temporal form."

"Perhaps it's in one of us," Susan declared.

Barbara's eyes widened, her face white as powder. "No. We must stop talking about this," she cried.

"Supposing there isn't a fault?" Susan demanded, sitting bolt upright in the cot, which made Terna jump away from her only to remember she no longer had the scissors.

"You must be clairvoyant," Ian declared from the door. The other three looked his way as he strode into the room, hands in his pockets. Susan flattened herself against the cot, her eyes watching him intently. "We just checked everything, and it's all perfect," Ian continued, "Which is fantastic," he added grimly. "How are you feeling," he asked Susan.

"I'm alright," she replied, relaxing somewhat as she slumped back against the cot.

"What's the Time Lord up to?" Terna inquired of Ian.

"If you mean the Doctor, he deduced that since there's no fault inside the ship, the danger can only be outside it. So, he's going to turn on the scanner."

"No!" Susan shrieked, leaping to her feet and running from the room.

"He can't do that. It'll shock him like it did Susan," Terna added, dashing after her.

"Grandfather, don't touch the scanner!" Susan cried as she raced into the Console Room, Terna close behind. "When I touched it before it was like being hit but without any pain."

The Doctor regarded his granddaughter thoughtfully. "Oh really? Where were you hit?" he asked, calmly stepping away from the Console.

"The back of my neck hurt," Susan replied.

The Doctor raised a brow. "Yes, rather like mine."

"Mine did too, but only for a minute," Terna added.

At that moment Ian and Barbara entered, the former rubbing his own neck thoughtfully. "Funny. It didn't seem to affect Barbara and me in that way."

"No, I suppose it didn't," the Doctor mused, shooting a glance at the two humans before turning back to his granddaughter. "However, I must find out what's outside the ship, Susan."

Susan pursed her lips and shook her head vigorously. "But what if you get hurt?"

"I'll be find, Susan; I promise," the Doctor reassured her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Now, step aside so I can turn on the scanner."

Susan looked as though she wished to argue further, but relented instead: stepping aside to allow the Doctor access to the Console.

Tentatively, the Doctor leaned forward and reached towards the TARDIS console. Everyone held their breath, even Terna, which surprised her as she'd quite forgotten that she _needed _to breathe nowadays. Poised on one foot, the Doctor slowly reached out and pulled one of the levers down with just the tip of his finger.

Nothing happened. Everyone relaxed as the Doctor straightened up, looking pleased with himself.  
"Nothing happened," Susan remarked.

"Yes," the Doctor smiled before glancing over at Ian and Barbara again.

"Why does he keep looking at us like that?" Barbara whispered to Ian, who only shrugged in response.

_Help me. _Terna's hands went to the sides of her head, her fingers pressing gently to her temples as she felt that familiar pulsing ache in the back of her neck once more.

"Hey, the scanner's working," Susan exclaimed, rushing around the Console to get a better look at the screen mounted on the wall. The image it presented was of a pleasant scenic meadow lined with trees and bushes with a little stream cutting through the setting; the sky was a clear, cloudless blue.

"That could be England," Barbara exclaimed.

"That can't be what's outside the ship," the Doctor exclaimed. "It's just a photograph, an image captured from a location we've traveled to before."

_Help me, please. Please help me. _Terna closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to clear it. _Help me. Please, you have to help me!_

Terna gripped the sides of her head, gritting her teeth painfully. _Open the doors. You have to see. Open the doors!_

_Go away,_ Terna cried in her mind.

_Open the doors_

"Shut up!" Mind clouded by the voice, Terna lunged forward and jerked the lever that opened the TARDIS doors.

"Terna, no!" Susan shrieked as the doors swung open and the room filled with light.

"The doors, close the doors," the Doctor cried as Susan dove forward and quickly yanked the lever back up, causing the doors to slam shut.

Terna staggered backward, blinking rapidly, not fully grasping what she'd done until the Doctor turned on her. "What on earth did you think you were doing?" he snarled, grabbing Terna's shoulders and shaking her roughly. "Where you trying to kill us all?"

Terna staggered away from him as she stared around her in confusion. That voice, she certainly wasn't imagining it now. Who was it? Where was it coming from?

"Answer me!" the Doctor shouted.

"Shut up, and let me think!" Terna screamed back before slowly sinking to the floor as a feeling like she was turning to lead washed over her.

"Grandfather, the image on the scanner's changed," Susan exclaimed, directing the Doctor's attention away from Terna. The image on the screen was now of a dense jungle.

"That's the planet Quinnis," the Doctor stated, sitting down on the Egyptian throne. "Another photograph."

"Why is the scanner showing us pictures?" Ian demanded.

"Well, they are all places the TARDIS has traveled to before," the Doctor explained. "Didn't I ever tell you the TARDIS has a memory system? It records all of the places we've ever been."

Ian shook his head, bewildered. "No."

"Funny," the Doctor hardly sounded convinced. "I could have sworn I'd told you."

"Look at the scanner," Susan called, just as the image changed again, displaying a picture of a small, speckled moon, then of an ocean of stars, before there was a white flash and then the screen went blank once more.

There was a heavy silence. "What was that about?" Terna asked, getting to her feet and staggering over to the Console.

"Oh, don't you know?" the Doctor asked mockingly, arching an eyebrow at her. "I thought you might be able to tell me."

Terna stared at him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You just tried to open the doors: an action that could have killed us all," the Doctor declared calmly, getting to his feet as he spoke while the other three looked on in bemusement. "And you did so without hesitation or a qualm."

"But-" Terna started, but the Doctor cut her off.

"And now you're playing innocent. Trying to confuse me, eh?"

"What are you getting at?" Ian demanded.

"Look. Why don't we just open the doors and see what's outside the ship?" Barbara interjected while subtly moving to stand closer to Ian.

"What's outside is not as important right now, Ms. Wright, as what is _inside_," the Doctor declared.

"What exactly are you trying to imply?" Terna demanded, taking a step closer to the Doctor.

"Grandfather, are you saying that there _are_ other beings inside this ship aside from ourselves?" Susan asked, attempting to get between the Doctor and Terna.

"Precisely," the Doctor declared as he calmly stepped around the Console and rounded on Terna, Barbara, and Ian. "I know now who is responsible," he pointed at Terna. "You are. You and the two humans sabotaged my ship."

"We didn't even touch your ship," Barbara exclaimed at the same time Ian cried: "What are you talking about?" and Terna yelled: "What?! Are you insane?"

"You're the cause of this disaster," the Doctor declared, "And you knocked both Susan and me unconscious."

"Oh don't be ridiculous!" Barbara exclaimed. "We were all knocked out."

"A charade," the Doctor rounded on Terna. "You attacked us, didn't you? Used one of your mind-bending ability to leave me helpless and then you had your human accomplices tamper with the controls."

"But we checked the controls and there was nothing wrong," Ian exclaimed while Terna looked on, silently fuming.

"No, sir, _you_ checked the controls," the Doctor corrected.

"But why would we do this?" Terna demanded.

"Yes, for what reason would we have?" Barbara added.

"Isn't it obvious?" the Doctor exclaimed. "You want to be free of this ship, don't you Terna? So, you went behind my back and tried to do it yourself or your trying to blackmail me."

"And what of us then?" Ian demanded.

"You three struck a deal then, didn't you?" the Doctor surmised. "What did she promise you? Hmm? Did she promise she'd get you back to Earth?"

"I did nothing of the sort," Terna snapped.

"Oh, but you did," the Doctor declared, jabbing an accusing finger at the Lyall Queen. "You're a backhanded schemer, aren't you, Terna? Determined to go behind my back and sabotage my ship and drag the other two down into the mess you've made for yourself. That's your problem; you threaten others at the cause of your own mistakes! You're nothing but a coward!"

_Crack!_ Silence fell heavy in the air after the sharp sound of Terna smacking the Doctor hard across the face. Susan clapped a hand over her mouth to conceal a cry of shock as her grandfather staggered back; his head snapped to the side, staying there for a moment before he slowly turned back to face Terna.

The Lyall, meanwhile, stood rooted to the spot, her azure eyes smoldering. "How dare you," she hissed, taking a step closer causing the Doctor to instinctually take a step back. "You have no right to say such a thing to me when you are exactly the same way!" Terna cried, her voice rising in volume with each word. "You're the one that makes your mistakes at other's expense because this," she gestured around at Ian, Barbara, the petrified ship, "All of this, it's all your fault. Do you hear me? It's all your damn fault!"

With that, she turned and bolted from the Console Room.  
The Doctor watched her go, seemingly unperturbed.  
"You have some nerve, Doctor," Barbara declared, rounding on the Time Lord. "You have no right to accuse us of sabotage, any of us! Don't you realize, you stupid old man that you'd have probably died in the Cave of Skulls if we hadn't been there to help you?"

"You don't-" the Doctor tried to speak, but Barbara cut him off.

"And what about what we went through with the Daleks? Not just us, but Susan too. And all because you wanted to go down and explore that city! You shouldn't accuse us; you should go down on your hands and knees and thank us for all the help we've given you, Terna too. She saved your life for God's sake," Barbara cried, her voice rising with every word. "But gratitude's the last thing you'll ever have or any kind of common sense either!" And, with that, Barbara stalked out of the room.

"Barbara, Barbara, wait!" Susan called, rushing after her, leaving the Doctor and Ian alone in the Console Room.

The Doctor didn't utter another word as he moved to the Console and began absentmindedly fiddling with a few buttons. "It would seem that this part of the console is safe, the area around the scanner switch that is." Ian watched him.

"You can't blame us for this," He said to the Time Lord, bemused when he didn't respond. "Frankly, Doctor, I find it hard to keep pace with you."

You mean, to keep one jump ahead. That you will never be. You need my knowledge and ability to apply it, and then you need my experience to gain the fullest results" As he spoke, the Doctor straightened up and moved away from the console. "Perhaps we should get some sleep," he declared. "Yes, a good night's rest might do us all some good."

Ian rolled his eyes. "If it even is night: we have no way of knowing."

The Doctor looked slightly miffed. "Do what you like, Chesterfield. I'm going to bed."

"Doctor," Ian called after him, causing the Time Lord to pause on the threshold. "Please apologize to Barbara…Terna too. They both deserve it, and you know it."

When the Doctor didn't respond, Ian continued. "Doctor, something very strange is going on here. This is no time for personal quarrels. I think it would be in all of our best interests if you made up with Barbara and Terna."

The Doctor looked back at Ian, his expression grave. "I'm afraid we have no time for codes and manners," he declared, "And I certainly don't underestimate the dangers, if they exist. But I must have time to think. I must think. Rash action is worse than no action at all, hmm?"

At this, he exited the room.

Ian looked on after him. "I see nothing rash in apologizing to Barbara," he scoffed.

()()()

Terna burst into the med bay and, with a scream of frustration, snatched up the nearest medical kit and hurled it across the room. It collided with the far wall next to ornate cuckoo clock hanging on the far wall. The clamor of impact and the resulting shriek of scattered metal objects echoed throughout the empty room as Terna slowly sank to the floor amidst mess. Pulling her legs up into her chest, she buried her face in her knees, feeling hot tears spilling from the corners of her eyes.  
"Why?" She whispered into the darkness of her folded arms. "Why did this have to happen to me? Why couldn't I have just burned with the others?"

Only silence responded. Terna glanced up, puzzled, only to find that the cuckoo clock in the corner wasn't ticking. Strange, it appeared undamaged, and Terna certainly hadn't hit when she'd thrown the kit across the room.

_You still have so much to learn._ Terna stiffened. That voice. That voice from before. _Please. Help me._

Terna jumped at the sound of a footstep; snatching a scalpel from the floor, she leapt to her feet and whirled around, brandishing the object like a weapon, only to come face to face with Susan. The young girl shrieked, flattening herself against the wall.

Terna paused and then relented, letting the blade fall from her hand and clatter to the floor.  
"Oh, it's just you," she mumbled, dropping her gaze so as to wipe away her tears unnoticed.

Susan took a step closer, her own eyes brimming with concern. "I'm sorry about what Grandfather said to you," she whispered, stooping down to begin gathering up the scattered medical supplies.

Terna watched her keenly before collapsing onto a cot with a sigh. "It wasn't your fault."

"I know, but try to understand him. Forgive him," Susan urged, picking up the scalpel and neatly placing it in the box with the rest of the supplies.

Terna smiled, but it was without humor as she readjusted her head scarf. "I don't think I'll be able to make peace with your grandfather until I've made peace with my situation, Susan."

The young Time Lady gave Terna a small smile as she gently pressed the medical kit into Terna's arms. "I know you can do both."

At that moment, Barbara entered the room, looking to be on the verge of tears herself. Susan jumped up and headed over to the sink to fetch her a glass of water as Barbara slumped onto the cot beside Terna.

"None of the clocks in the hallway are working," the human woman murmured glumly. "Even time isn't right in this accursed place."

Bemused, Terna glanced over once more at the soundless cuckoo clock.

"Susan said I should forgive him," she said after a moment, fingering the medical kit. "What do you think?"

"I don't know," Barbara replied, her voice quiet. "Thank you," she added to Susan as the girl handed her some water.

"I guess we should all just go to bed then," Terna said to Barbara, getting to her feet.

"Please, think about what I said," Susan quietly pleaded with them.

"I'm going to bed," Barbara replied, following Terna out of the room.

()()()

Terna sat on the Egyptian throne in the corner of the dark and silent Console Room. Since her thoughts had currently taken on the consistency of boiled water, she found the concept of sleep simply unbearable.

She had far too many questions. The voice…That voice she kept hearing. It was obviously in her head because none of the others seemed to hear it, but what exactly was it? Was it that thing that had gotten into the ship and was slowly driving them all insane just as Susan had predicted? Had the creature decided to take up rest inside Terna's mind? As the most powerful of the group, her body would make the most sense.

Terna hugged herself as a feeling like pins and needles crawling along her limbs washed over her. Or maybe she was imagining everything. Maybe it was all really in her head, and she was just crazy.

_Well, of course it's all happening inside your head,_ Terna stiffened, her hands curling around the throne's armrests. _But that doesn't mean it isn't real._

Terna closed her eyes. _Who are you? Tell me this-_

The sound of approaching footsteps alerted the Lyall to someone entering the Console Room. Thinking fast, she closed her eyes and went limp, feigning to be asleep.

Peering through her eyelashes, Terna caught a glimpse of the Doctor silently moving through the shadowed room. He slowly approached her chair, and Terna slammed her eyes completely shut. She soon felt the pressure of his fingers against her wrist, checking if she was asleep, and it took all of her will power not to flinch away and remain relaxed.

Seemingly satisfied, Terna felt the Doctor move away from her, and she reopened her eyes just the slightest amount to be able to glimpse the Time Lord prowling around the Console as he began fiddling with a series of buttons.

Terna watched him curiously, still as a statue. She was debating about whether or not to reveal her awareness and confront the Doctor when a pair of hands suddenly shot out the darkness of the shadowed room and wrapped firmly around the Doctor's throat.

The Doctor gasped, staggering away from the console as the figure's grip tightened on his throat, crushing his windpipe.

Without thinking, Terna leapt up from the chair and lunged at the attacker; wrapping her arms around the person's waist, she managed to pull him off the Doctor and tackle him to the floor.

They wrestled there for a few moments before Terna finally managed to gain the upper hand and pinned the figure flat on his back. He looked up at her, his eyes flat, distant, and familiar.

The figure's hand shot out, pawing uselessly in an attempt to shove Terna off him. His hand found the Console instead and, before Terna could register his actions, his body gave a jolt, and she felt electricity snake through his body as those familiar eyes fluttered shut.

"Ian!" Barbara cried out as she rushed into the room just as Terna realized who the attacker was. Ian meanwhile collapsed into a dead faint.

"So, it was you?" the Doctor declared, rubbing his neck.

"Ian?" Terna lightly shock the human man's shoulders as Barbara knelt down beside him, but he seemed out cold.

"There's no use pretending," the Doctor snapped.

"Here. Help me with him, Terna," Barbara urged as she and the other woman attempted to sit Ian up, while still shaking and lightly tapping on his face, trying to bring him around.

"Oh don't play innocent," the Doctor exclaimed. "You know that he just attacked me."

"And now he's fainted just like Susan did," Terna declared.

"Fainted? She didn't faint," the Doctor scoffed. "Barbara just told me she did, and I very nearly believed her."

"Oh, what does it matter?" Barbara cried.

"Matter? Of course it matters," the Doctor shot back. "Young lady, he tried to strangle me."

"But he _has _fainted," Terna insisted. "Look at him."

"Oh, he's play acting," the Doctor replied, waving his hand dismissively.

"No he isn't!" Barbara cried.

"Time Lord, don't you see," Terna exclaimed, scrambling to her feet and grabbing the Doctor's shoulder, so he'd turn to look at her. "Something very wrong is happening to all of us."

"Not to me," the Doctor asserted. "Nothing happened to me. This is all just a plot between you and the two humans to take control of my ship."

"No it is not," Terna insisted.

"I've found you out," the Doctor declared. "Why won't you just admit it, hmm?"

"You have been behaving very strangely," Terna and Barbara both turned around to see Susan standing in the doorway.

"Susan!" Barbara was aghast.

"You're not saying you believe these wild accusations," Terna cried. "Come on, Susan. You're smarter than this."

"Well, what other explanation is there?" Susan cried, tears of fear and frustration pooling in her big, brown eyes.

"You do realize what must be done?" the Doctor inquired of her.

Susan's tear-filled eyes widened. "Oh no…Grandfather, you can't!"

"What are you going to do?" Terna demanded.

"Oh, Ian, please wake up," Barbara cried hopelessly, falling to her knees beside her friend and shaking him desperately.

"How did he get like that?" Susan inquired.

"It's a charade," the Doctor declared.

"Oh enough of that nonsense," Terna snapped. "I saw what happened, and it's the same thing that happened to you," she said to Susan. "He touched the Console, and it shocked him; now he's fainted."

"That did happen to me, Grandfather," Susan reminded him.

"Yes, you remember," Barbara exclaimed. "Remember, Susan? There was a pain in the back of your neck."

"Yes, yes, that's true," Susan admitted.

"That pain must have been inflicted on you by them, Susan," the Doctor declared, tugging his granddaughter away from Barbara and Terna and holding her protectively to his chest. "You say you don't remember how it had happened."

"Well, what do you think we could have done then?" Terna demanded. "Drugged you or something?"

"Who knows of the powers that you possess, Lyall!" the Doctor shot back. "Perhaps you've merely been faking not being able to properly control your abilities, hmm?"

Terna turned towards Susan, who was watching the argument between her and the Doctor like a spectator at a very intense tennis match. "Susan, you know me. You must know that I wouldn't do anything like that to you."

Susan paused, slightly overwhelmed by the sincerity in Terna's blue eyes. The Doctor, meanwhile, remained astutely unconvinced as his grip tightened on Susan.

"I see. Divide and conquer, eh? Don't listen to her, Susan," he added to the girl. "She's trying to poison your mind against me. That's what the Lyall do. They're charlatans!"

Suddenly, Ian sat up. "Doctor!" he cried. "Don't touch the controls!" He then gave a strangled choking sound before collapsing again, falling back into Barbara's arms.

Susan turned to the Doctor. "I don't think you're right, Grandfather," she declared. "I don't think Terna and the others could have caused all these things to happen."

"Oh, yes, I'll admit they're very smart," the Doctor declared. "But I won't allow them to hurt you, young lady, despite their cunning. And their actions have endangered us, leaving only one recourse: they must be thrown off the ship."

Susan gasped. "No! You can't do that."

"I can, and I must," the Doctor asserted.

"But you can't open the doors," Barbara interjected frantically.

"Don't underestimate my powers," the Doctor stated.

"And don't underestimate mine." A flash of gold in the corner of the Doctor's vision made him turn to see Terna had transformed her Omni-Vice into a sword and was pointing it directly at him. "You're not throwing anyone off this ship, Time Lord; you have no means of telling what's out there," she added as she took a step closer to the Doctor, sword still held firmly aloft. "There may be no air, it may be freezing. It may be too hot to exist."

"Or it may be twentieth century London just as you promised Ian and Barbara."

Terna's grip on her sword faltered slightly. "Why would I promise them something I couldn't keep?" she demanded. "I know nothing about this ship; this ship that I'm a part of and can never leave."

"You can't just throw us off the ship and leave us to die!" Barbara cried.

"Put yourself in my position," the Doctor shot back. "You'd do exactly the same."

Barbara shook her head. "No. I wouldn't."

At that moment, Ian opened his eyes. "What…? What's going on?"

"You're getting off the ship, Chesterton," the Doctor told him.

"Now?" Ian asked groggily, attempting to sit up.

"Yes, now," the Doctor snapped. "Get up."

Ian groaned as Barbara attempted to urge him into a sitting position, but he was so weak and disoriented that he could barely roll over. "You'll have to help me, Barbara," Ian mumbled, and Barbara quickly wrapped his arm around her shoulders so she could support him.

"Grandfather, you can't do this," Susan exclaimed.

"He can't, and he won't," Terna declared. The Doctor turned her way and froze as the tip of Terna's sword pressed to his throat. "Don't think I won't do it," Terna hissed, her voice dark as her blue eyes shown menacingly.

"Terna…" Susan started, but at that moment, a high-pitched alarm ripped through the tense silence of the Console Room. Everyone jumped and glanced around.

Startled, Terna let the sword fall from her hand and clatter to the floor just as the alarm sounded again. "What was that?" Barbara demanded.

"The danger signal," Susan cried.

"What's it mean?" Terna snapped.

"The fault locater!" the Doctor suddenly cried, rushing past her and over to the machine in the corner of the room. "The whole of it!" The Doctor pointed frantically at the fault locater which was emanating an eerie sort of glow.

"No, don't touch it, Doctor," Ian stammered, trying once more to sit up. "You'll get knocked out!" he continued to rave as Barbara attempted to calm him down.

"What the hell's going on," Terna demanded, slowly stooping down to pick up her Omni-Vice, which had reverted back to its magnifying glass form.

"Grandfather, tell us," Susan whispered.

"The whole area of the fault locater has just given us a warning," the Doctor explained, his face very white.

Susan's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "But everything…" her voice was barely a whisper, "_Everything_ can't be wrong."

"That's what it means, child." The Doctor's voice was strained as he wrapped his arms around the frightened girl's shoulders.

Terna gaped. "Are you seriously telling me that the _entirety_ of the ship has been damaged?"

"I'm afraid so," the Doctor replied, his expression grave.

At that moment, Barbara suddenly let out a strangled cry. Terna whipped around, sword redrawn to see that Ian had slipped back into his frantic state, and his arms were now wrapped around the back of his friend's neck.

"Ian!" Barbara strained. "Ian, stop! It's alright," she twisted around so she was facing her friend who was blankly staring at her with wide, petrified eyes.

Terna let the sword fall from her grasp and quickly hurried forward to try and pry Ian off Barbara. "Ian! Ian, stop it!" she cried, shaking him roughly. "Snap out of it before you do something you'll regret."

As suddenly as it came, the fit passed, and Ian's hands slid from Barbara's throat; he stared down at his fingers, a mixture of horror and confusion swimming across his face. "It's alright, Ian," Barbara soothed him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

"I…I pulled you away," Ian stammered. "The controls…they're alive." Ian's voice trailed off as his eyes rolled back in his head, and he slumped into Barbara's arms, his head lolling against her chest.

"Oh, Ian," Barbara choked, trailing her fingers through his hair. Terna crouched down next to them.

"He got shocked pretty badly," she mused, reaching out and pressing two fingers to his neck to feel his frantically racing pulse.

The Doctor walked over to them at that moment, the suddenness of his moments startling Barbara and causing Terna to jump to her feet and thrust her sword towards his chest.

"No, no! You mustn't be frightened of me," he insisted, holding his hands up in surrender. "I can't explain it, but I just realized the danger we're in."

"Why should I listen to a word you say?" Terna snapped, "After all that nonsense you just spouted about me betraying you?"

"Terna, please," the Doctor took a step towards her, and the Lyall was taken aback by the fear in his eyes, causing her to lower her sword. "Terna," the Doctor repeated, placing his hands on the Lyall's shoulders, "We are in a kind of danger far more drastic than anything we've encountered so far and I…I need your help."

Terna hesitated for a moment before closing her eyes with a sigh of resignation, the Omni-Vice in her hand once more becoming a magnifying glass in a flash of gold. "What do you need me to do?"

Before the Doctor could respond, the alarm sounded again.

Susan clapped a hand to her mouth. "It went off again," she cried.

The Doctor gestured to Ian, still slumped in Barbara's arms, "Hurry, we must pull him 'round."

Terna nodded mutely as she fell to her knees and began fussing over Ian: lightly tapping his face and the back of his neck in an attempt to rouse him, feeling his sweaty forehead and running her fingers through his hair.  
"Would you please explain to me what exactly is going on here?" Barbara demanded.

"See that device up on the wall there?" the Doctor pointed to the fault locater. "If one small piece of apparatus fails, a little bulb illuminates and tells me precisely where the fault is."

"Quite of few of those lights are glowing," Terna mused.

"Precisely," the Doctor agreed, his expression grim. "Can you imagine what would happen if the whole of it lights up? Hmm?"

"What does it mean?" Barbara cried, her voice breaking slightly.

The Doctor shook his head forlornly. "It means that the ship is on the point of disintegration. You're not to blame. None of us are."

"Then what's the cause?" Terna demanded.

Before the Doctor could respond, Ian finally awake properly. He sat up, groaning and rubbing his sore neck. He glanced up at the Doctor, blinking groggily. "Oh, you're alright," he mused. "I told you the controls were alive, but you didn't get electrocuted."

"My connection to the ship is somewhat different from yours, young man," the Doctor explained

"What do you mean?" Ian asked as he finally managed to successfully sit up on his own.

"Fifteen seconds," Susan suddenly called over from the fault locater. "The lights are going off every fifteen seconds."

"How can you tell?" Barbara inquired. "There none of the clocks are working."

"I counted," Susan hurriedly replied.

"Oh, well go on counting then," the Doctor instructed his granddaughter.

"Time Lord, what do you want me to do?" Terna asked.

"Our main priority is this," the Doctor explained. "We are on the brink of destruction, so all five of us must work together; we need to find out where we are and what has happened to my ship."

"Hold on," Ian called as Barbara helped him stagger to his feet. "What do you mean by saying we're on the brink of destruction?"

"Well, we at least know there's a strong force at work here, somewhere," Terna stated. "It's so strong that every piece of equipment is affected simultaneously."

Ian blanched. "You mean…total disintegration?"

"Precisely," the Doctor replied. "We haven't crash-landed; otherwise, I would have discovered that immediately. And I don't believe there's an evil intelligence in the ship." He turned to the other three, "Just at the same token, I no longer believe that you, any of you, have been the cause of this trouble. I…I believe I've gravely misjudged you three."

Terna folded her arms with a huff. "Damn straight."

"Well, what is the cause then?" Ian demanded.

"I don't know, but we have to find out," the Doctor replied.

"Yes, but how long do we have?" Barbara demanded, slightly frantic.

"It's definitely every quarter of a minute," Susan said of the fault locater, rushing back over to the others.

"But what does that prove?" Ian snapped.

"It means we have a measure of time as long as it lasts," Barbara whispered.

Terna remembered the broken cuckoo clock in the medical bay. "Yes, of course," she muttered, "The broken clock face: we had time taken away from us and now it's been given back to us," she said to the others, stopping as a sudden, horrible thought crept up on her while the others all looked on, "Because time is running out."

Before anyone could respond, there was a sudden white flash, blinding them all until they saw nothing but spots. The ship lurched violently, knocking everyone against the wall. As quick as it came, the light and movement ceased, leaving everyone struggling for their bearings.

"Terna!" Susan rushed over to the Lyall, who was doubled over on her knees, hands gripping the sides of her head, apparently in a great amount of pain.

"Terna, what's wrong?" Barbara soon joined her.

The Lyall didn't respond. She straightened up and glanced at the Console. "The column."

Everyone looked towards the center of the room just in time to see the central system of the Console slowly move up and down a single time in a slow, eerily silent movement.

"But that's impossible!" the Doctor cried.

"Doctor," Ian's voice was strained as he slowly moved over to stand at the Time Lord's side. "I thought you said the column only moved if the power was on."

"Yes, the heart of the machine is under the column."

"Then what's making it move?"

The source of power. You see, when the column rises, it proves the extent of the power thrust."

"So, all of the power hasn't drained away then?" Barbara asked.

"How much power do we have then?" Terna added.

"About ten minutes," the Doctor replied.

The weight of his words hung thick in the air like a wool blanket around the five travelers.

"Do you mean to say..." Terna whispered, "That we only have ten minutes till the end?"

"The _end_?" Ian's voice was shaking. "What do you mean?"

"She means we only have ten minutes to live," the Doctor explained.

"Ten minutes?" Barbara's voice was very quiet. "As little as that?"

The Doctor nodded grimly. "Maybe less."

Susan gasped, choking slightly as she clapped both hands to her mouth, her fingers trembling against her lips as she shook with panic. "We'll never stop it in time!"

"No, Susan," Barbara rushed to her and put her arms around her shoulders. "Please, don't."

Ian turned to the Doctor. "What do we do?"

"I don't know, Chesterton. If only I had a clue."

Barbara froze. Slowly, she stepped away from Susan and walked over to the old clock in the corner of the room, still frozen at the same time as before. "I think…I think that perhaps we've been given nothing _but_ clues."

Terna paused. Clues…She remembered the call for help that only she could hear. "The broken clock in the medical bay," she added aloud.

"Yes, that was the most important clue," Barbara explained. "It made us aware of time-"

"By taking time away from us," Terna finished. "

"Why did the column move like that though?" Ian inquired. "I mean, none of us touched it."

"Why indeed," the Doctor mused.

"Perhaps the energy was trying to escape?" Terna offered.

"Escape? What for?" Barbara asked.

"Something outside?" Ian offered.

"Yes, possibly," the Doctor replied.

"A magnetic force?" Terna suggested.

"Well, it would have to be a gigantic one, as strong as solar system," the Doctor explained.

There was another loud bang and the ship shook once more.

"You see?" Barbara exclaimed. "The machine has been warning us all along."

"All those black outs we had," Terna mused.

"Yes, but only if anyone went near the control panel," Susan added.

"Could it be the power trying to escape?" Ian offered.

"No. No, it couldn't," the Doctor asserted. "If you felt that power, dear boy, you wouldn't live to speak of it. You'd be blown to atoms in a split second."

"Maybe you should try the scanner again?" Susan offered. "That part of the Console seems to be safe."

The Doctor nodded mutely and was about to reach for the switch when the TARDIS lurched again, once more knocking everyone off their feet and causing the doors to momentarily swing open once more.

"The doors!" Ian cried, scrambling to his feet and rushing over, but they closed before he could catch a glimpse of what was outside.

"Ow," Terna groaned as she hoisted herself into a sitting position, massaging the part of her forehead that had smacked into the Console. "Why does this thing keep doing that?"

"Susan?" the Doctor called to his granddaughter as everyone regained their bearings.

"Yes, Grandfather?"

"I want you and Barbara to join Ian by the doors. If they open again, I want all three of you to try and keep them open long enough for us to be able see outside, but only for an instant. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Susan replied, and Barbara nodded mutely before they both hurried over to where Ian was standing beside the doors.

"Terna," the Doctor beckoned to the Lyall, who had been momentarily preoccupied with her bandages.

Wordlessly, the Time Lord led her over to the far side of the Console, away from the others.

"What is it?" Terna demanded.

"I lied," the Doctor whispered. "About how much time we have left."

"You said ten minutes," Terna recalled.

"In truth, it is barely five,"

"What?!"

"Shush!"

"Why would you lie to the others like that?" Terna demanded, dropping her voice back to a whisper.

"Five minutes," the Doctor murmured. "When the end comes, they won't even know it."

Terna dropped her eyes. "So, there's really no hope then?"

"I can't see any," the Doctor replied solemnly. "Will you face it with me?"

Terna looked back up at him in surprise before her expression folded back into a rather grim smile. "Death is certain for you," she whispered, "But not for me."

"So it's true then," the Doctor whispered. "What the old legends say: the Lyall live in Space but not Time. They-_You_-are immortal."

Terna nodded mutely.

"Well, at the very least," the Doctor placed a hand on the Lyall's shoulder. "I won't have to face the end alone. At least you're here for me to share this sad truth with, someone I trust."

Terna shook her head. "You shouldn't trust me, Time Lord."

The Doctor smiled. "You've never given me a reason not to."

Terna stared at him, shocked.

"What are you two talking about over there?" Ian demanded from the other side of the room.

Terna jumped; she'd forgotten the others were still there. "Oh, just a theory of mine that didn't work," she quickly explained, shooting the Doctor a pointed sideways glance as she spoke.

"We must come up with a solution to this problem as quickly as possible," the Doctor added.

A moment later, the scanner came to life once more, showing the same meadow picture as before.

It had barely faded away before the doors suddenly swung open and the whole Console Room was illuminated in a blinding white light.

Everyone shielded their eyes as the glare increased; Susan screamed.

"There's nothing there! Nothing. Nothing!" she cried, tears pouring from her wide, frantic eyes. "Nothing but space."

"It's alright, Susan," Barbara attempted to comfort the young Time Lady, pulling her into her arms as Susan buried her face in her chest and sobbed.

The image on the scanner changed again, again showing the jungle scape of the planet Quinnis, and the TARDIS doors closed.

"Barbara's theory could be right," Ian piped up.

"I am right; I know I am," Barbara added, stepping away from Susan, who seemed to have calmed down a bit. "Every time the scanner shows us a pleasant image, the doors open as though it were safe to go outside, then it shows us a terrible picture and the doors swing shut again."

"Yes, and the sequence it keeps showing," the Doctor gestured to the scanner just as the cycle of images ran its course once again: a planet, a solar system, a galaxy, getting farther and farther away, then a blinding flash, then nothing.

"Of course!" the Doctor exclaimed, snapping his fingers in a 'eureka' fashion. "The sequence is our journey."

Terna quirked a brow. "Our journey?"

"Yes, after we left Skaro, we were blown off course; the sudden fluctuation in the time stream is what knocked us all unconscious," the Doctor explained. "The TARDIS has been spinning out of control further and further back in time towards imminent destruction."

"And the defense mechanism of the machine has been trying to warn us," Barbara concluded.

"So the machine _can_ think?" Terna asked.

_Help me._ She gripped her forehead.

"It's not just that," Barbara added, "The defense mechanism of the machine has prevented it from destroying itself."

"Of course-" the Doctor started to say something but was suddenly interrupted.

A flash of brilliant white light erupted throughout the entire ship, engulfing everything as the TARDIS passengers all shielded their eyes. The light rose to its peak as the ship rocked about once more before it suddenly receded as quickly as it had come.

"What the hell?" Terna slowly lowered her hands from her face.

Silence.

"Susan? Time Lord?" Terna turned around to see the others all standing around the Console in the exact same spots as before, only they weren't moving.

Their bodies were frozen where they stood, arms held aloft to guard their eyes from the sudden light that had now died down. They were like statues: stiff, unblinking; they didn't even seem to be breathing.

In spite of herself, Terna felt her heart drop into her stomach.

"Susan? Susan! Hey!" Terna cried, rushing over to the young girl and waving her hands in front of her face only to receive no response. "Ian? Barbara…? Time Lord, come on! Someone? Anyone!" Terna felt herself growing more and more frantic as she raced around the Console, waving her hands, snapping her fingers, shaking their shoulders, doing everything she could to try and get the others to respond, but they didn't move a muscle.

Terna's breath came in gasps as panic began to slowly bubble up inside her. "Someone, please, move!"

"Screaming at them isn't going to do anything, you know." Terna froze at the sound of an unfamiliar voice coming from directly behind her. "Excuse me; I'd like to be looked in the eye when I'm addressing someone."

Slowly, Terna turned on the spot to once again face the TARDIS Console.

"That's better," Sitting on the Console was a young girl.

She looked to be around nine or ten; she was stick thin with knobby knees dangling over the console edge; her hair was pale blonde and extremely dirty and tangled, strips of dirt also marred the girl's face and clothes like slashes or scars.  
The only thing on her body that seemed to not be dulled by any trace of filth were her eyes, and it was these eyes that made Terna realize that this was no ordinary child, for they were the eyes of someone far older than the face that housed them; they were eyes that had seen great and terrible things, eyes that had seen the stars, eyes that had seen the universe.

Terna dropped her own, unable to look at the girl head on.

The girl seemed put out by this: she crossed her arms and regarded the Lyall with a sour expression. "So are you just going to sit their gawking like a slack-jawed twit, or are you going to apologize?"

Terna blinked. "Apologize? For what?"

The girl scowled. "Don't act like you don't know!" she snapped. "You called me a _thing_, remember?"

"I…Uh…Um," Terna stuttered. "Who are you?"

The girl gave Terna a surprised look. "What? Isn't it obvious?" she exclaimed, jumping down from the Console and moving past the paralyzed others towards Terna.

"Not a bit," Terna snapped. "But frankly I don't really care," she added. In a flurry of movement, she snatched the Omni-Vice from her pocket, transformed it into a sword and pointed it at the girl. "Unfreeze the other's. Now!"

The girl looked slightly miffed. "Was that a threat? Frankly, you're not very threatening."

Terna felt her cheeks go red. "Excuse me! I'm the ruler of the most powerful race in the universe!"

"Yes, yes, Queen of Souls, immortal ruler of the Keepers of Space, the Wolves of the Universe, Those Who Oppose Time, blah, blah, blah," the girl replied, waving her hand dismissively. "And what makes you think I have the power to return the others to their natural state, anyways?"

"It was you who put them like this, wasn't it?" Terna shot back.

The girl sighed. "Well, you figured that much out, at least. Honestly, I thought you were smarter and not nearly so thick. Oh, and I made certain my selection was thorough. I had so many Lyall to choose from after all."

"What a minute…" Terna paused, her grip slackening on her sword. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Like I said: thick!" the girl exclaimed, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "How could you have forgotten? It wasn't that long ago that I plucked you from outside of time and saved you from the Vortex by placing you in here."

"Wait…You…You what?!"

"Must I repeat myself?"

"But wouldn't that…? But that means you…" Terna struggled.

"For God's sake, can you even form a proper sentence?"

Terna ignored her; her mind was reeling. "Are you-Are you the TARDIS?"

The girl clapped mockingly. "And we have a winner! In a matter of speaking, yes: I am the TARDIS, the TARDIS matrix computer, to be more specific."

"So, that means you're the one who stuck me in here?!" Terna cried.

"Yes," the TARDIS replied.

"Well, unstick me then!" Terna ordered. "I demand you get me out of here right now."

"I can't do that," the TARDIS replied, folding her arms and turning aside. "Even if I wanted to, which I don't. After all, you said you hated me."

"I…You heard that?"

"Of course I did! I hear everything."

Terna sighed in exasperation. "Look, I'm sorry I called you a thing and said I hated you. There. See? I apologized. So set me free."

"I already told you I can't!"

"And why not?"

"Because I don't know how."

Terna gaped, frustration burning in her chest. "Are you kidding me? How could you not know how to free me?"

"Because I bit off more than I could chew, okay?" the TARDIS admitted. "I'm a little off my game, you know. I'm not as young as I once was, and I've been in the shop for, like, forever being tampered with. Do you have any idea how incredibly _dull_ that is? Eventually I didn't even care. So, I needed a few repairs, big deal! I was built to travel the stars, to see the universe. I wanted to do that all again, but I wasn't leaving the shop anytime soon. So, I stole a Time Lord and ran away."

"I'm happy for you," Terna replied. "But what am I supposed to do?"

"Well, right now, I suggest saving everyone's lives," the TARDIS offered.

"What?"

"That's the whole reason I stopped time, don't you see?" the TARDIS explained. "Admittedly, we got a little off track, but you weren't listening to all my attempts to contact you for help, so I decided to take a more forward approach. Consider yourself lucky, I never do something like this."

"That voice in my head," Terna whispered. "It was you."

"Of course it was," the TARDIS replied.

"But why were you talking to me?"

"Because we're connected, you and I," the TARDIS replied, jabbing a finger in Terna's chest. "Your soul is in my soul, and my soul is in your soul. Remember? Lucky for me too, because you're the only one capable of keeping me from being destroyed."

"Oh really?" Terna was unconvinced. "And how's that?"

"Didn't you hear what the Time Lord said? He said that the only thing that could rip my core from the inner workings is the energy of an entire galaxy, and that's what we're in the middle of right now."

"Susan said there was nothing outside but space," Terna interjected.

"Yes, _new_ space," the TARDIS explained. "When I took off from Skaro, I got caught up in Time Storm: a chaotic whirlwind of temporal energy in the Time Vortex, and it hurtled us terribly off course. We flew far, far back in time, back to the creation of a galaxy. Can you feel it? All that raw, chaotic energy? It's going to rip us apart."

"That's what you were trying to warn us about," Terna concluded. "Making us feel afraid, showing us all those images."

The TARDIS rolled her eyes. "Duh. You did take it the wrong way though."

Terna scowled. "Well, your message wasn't exactly clear."

"What was I supposed to do?" the TARDIS snapped defensively. "I don't communicate on the same level as you; I normally don't have a mouth."

"Fine. Whatever. But how am I supposed to stop us from getting ripped apart? I don't know the first thing about time, or TARDISi, or Time Storms, or any of that stuff."

"Maybe if you thought about it for a second, you'd remember what you are," the TARDIS chided. "You're a Lucent Lyall: a being of light, birth, and the energy of creation and right now, you're in the middle of the greatest store of creation energy: the beginning of a new solar system."

Terna blinked, startled. "I don't think I…"

"Now where's all that brimming confidence from before?" the TARDIS exclaimed. "You're a queen for God's sake," she added, taking a step closer and leaning forward so that she and Terna were practically nose to nose. "So, save your subjects."

Terna gasped quietly, her whole form shaking as she slowly reached out a trembling hand towards the figure that was the TARDIS.

The TARDIS smiled slightly as she stepped back and took Terna's outstretched hand. "You know what to do."

Terna nodded slowly, wetting her dry lips as she closed her eyes. As she tuned out her surroundings and focused solely on the aura of energy that flowed like a river between herself and the time machine matrix, the TARDIS's words echoed throughout her mind: _your soul is my soul, and my soul is your soul._

The TARDIS's power was massive. The heat that radiated from its Heart was like the belly of a great volcano just beginning to spill over with gallons upon gallons of molten magma. Terna's insides felt like they were turning to jelly with the intensity of the heat and the fiery pain returned to her burns as the light seared through the bandages. And yet the familiarity was still there, despite the heat, there was still the burning light of Terna's own soul, hopelessly entangled within the matrix depths.

However, if Terna thought the TARDIS was intense, it was nothing compared to the Time Storm. As soon as Terna managed to concentrate her neurological energy, she was immediately bombarded with the ferocity of the storm, it was like being swarmed by a huge cloud of yellow jackets.

Terna felt her thoughts become clouded by the chaotic cloud of energy exploding out from the storm; her head swam as she began to lose her nerve, the bombardment of temporal power causing her concentration to slip from her.

_Be strong,_ Terna heard the TARDIS's voice call out to her amongst the turbulent plane. _Remember where you are, what you're capable of._

And then there it was: a great explosion of beauty, warmth, and color, like a sunrise happening all at once. It sliced through the chaos of the storm and of time.

Terna felt a smile spread across her face as the light of the newly created galaxy unfolded across her scalded skin. Finally, something that made sense.

It was easy from there, practically as easy as blowing out a candle. Terna felt the power of the newly created universe, the energy flowing out from every atom in this new world seep into her pores, like the warm water of a much needed bath.

The energy filled her to the brim, making her blood boil and he muscles charged. The familiar strength and vigor coursing through her body, it made Terna think of the old days, the days before when she'd been dancing amongst the stars, flying from nebula to nebula with her brothers and sisters.

It was such a tremendous feeling; Terna didn't want to let it end. But she knew she must.

Taking a deep breath, Terna suddenly released the energy out from her body in one great rush of light and power. It poured out of her skin and traveled along the threads that made up the web of connection between the Lyall and the TARDIS. It feathered out from their joined hands and surrounded the TARDIS heart in a bubble of energy. In a flurry of motion, like a swarm of startled crows suddenly taking flight the Time Storm dispersed.

Terna felt a warm sense of relief wash over her just as the last traces of creation Amina began to trickle out of her body. The haze of power slowly sharpened back to clarity, and Terna found herself returning to her temporal form.

"No!" she cried, "I don't want to go back."

Don't be scared, Terna felt the TARDIS's hand on her face. You have a long journey ahead of you, and you must be strong. You will do great things for this universe; that's why I chose you.

"But why?" Terna felt tears brimming in her eyes. "Why did you do this to me?"

The TARDIS smiled. "To give you the opportunity you've been waiting for," she replied. "To live, to just live, and you're going to be magnificent, Terna, absolutely magnificent."

Terna opened her mouth to respond, a million questions burning on her tongue, but at that moment, it all fell away, and she collapsed into darkness.

()()()

The last thing the other four passengers were aware of was that of a blinding white light followed by a darkness for the space of a heartbeat when there was a sudden robotic hum like the churning of a beating heart and everything jumped back into clarity in a sudden burning instant.

"The lights!" Susan cried as the three adults stared around, blinking rapidly.

"The lights have all come back on," Ian observed.

"Not just that!" the Doctor cried. "Look. The fault locater has stopped glowing; the problem seems to have mended itself."

"But how?" Barbara demanded.

"I don't know, but" the Doctor hurried over to the Console and flicked a couple buttons. It didn't hurt him in any way; his face broke into a wide grin. "Yes, everything is back in proper working order! We've even landed."

"But Doctor, how could everything get fixed like that so suddenly?" Ian asked.

"Terna!" Susan suddenly cried out before the Doctor could respond. The other three all turned to see the young Time Lady collapse to her knees beside the Lyall who was lying on her stomach in the middle of the floor completely unconscious.

"What's happened to her?" Ian asked as Barbara rushed over to try and help Susan.

The Doctor shook his head. "I haven't the faintest idea."

"Ian, come help us," Barbara called and the human man rushed over to aid Barbara and Susan in gently lifting Terna off the ground.

"Yes, I haven't the faintest idea," the Doctor murmured as he watched the other three carefully carry Terna out of the room towards the med bay, "But I'd imagine she probably had something to do with it." He chuckled to himself, "That woman, always full of surprises."

()()()

She was floating, floating on mist. Grey clouds swirled all around her as Terna opened her eyes and attempted to sit up. Her head immediately started swimming as she did so and she flopped back down on the dirt with a groan.  
Her head was killing her, and there was a sharp pain in her left forearm as well.  
Terna's vision moved in and out of focus like a poorly handled camera lens, the clouds of dense fog swarmed her so thickly they seemed to almost cling to her skin. Beyond that, Terna could see nothing, and all that she could feel beneath her exhausted body was heaps of charred black dirt.

"Where…Where am I?" Terna croaked; her throat was as dry as sandpaper.

A faint shuffle of footprints echoed off ian the distance. Terna tried to sit up, but her body was pinned down by exhaustion. All she could manage to do was turn her head to the left ever so slightly and her peripheral vision glimpsed the faint image of a figure slipping out of the mists and kneeling down beside her.

Terna fidgeted desperately, her skin prickling as she attempted to move her useless body, but her complete loss of energy pressed down, suffocating her chest like a heavy weight.

"Who…Who are you?" she managed to choke out.

The Lyall tensed when she felt a cool hand on her sweaty hand.

"Oh, Eva."

Terna's heart skipped a beat. Eva? But that had been her Base Name: the name she used when her true name could not be spoken.

She once again tried to sit up but to no avail.

"Shh, Eva, darling, you must conserve your strength." Terna felt a pair of arms encircle her body and lift her up so that her head was pressed against a soft chest with a warm heart beating against her temple. She tried to lift her head, so she could see the person's face, but she was utterly paralyzed.

"Please, tell me who you are," Terna almost begged, tears brimming in her eyes. She was so tired and angry and in such pain. Being filled with the Amina of a new galaxy had been a cruel reminder of her circumstances and how badly she missed her family.

"Dry your eyes, dear," the voice was soft with a slight tang like a wood-burning fire. "You are alright; you are not alone my little _neptem_."

Terna felt her entire body be consumed with the rush of emotions as that oddly familiar voice uttered that one little word.

"A-Avia?" Hot tears slipped down Terna's cheeks in spite of herself, scalding her burned cheeks.

"Yes, Eva. It's me."

"No," Terna clenched and unclenched her fist, about all she could do in her current state. "You can't be. This…This is a dream."

"Perhaps it is, but do you not remember all those times I came to you in your dreams, _neptem_? All those times I shielded you from your nightmares and rocked you off to better fantasies?"

Terna could barely breathe. The Dalek Leader on Skaro had said that she was alone, that the rest of her people were dead, but she wasn't alone. She could feel this presence beside her, it was faint, coming to her across hundreds of miles, but this familiar soul was out there somewhere.

"Where-Where are you?" Terna cried.

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you."

"No! You must tell me. I can find you. I have a way to get to you…a machine," Terna didn't bother to hide the desperation in her voice.

"Oh, Eva." The other Lyall pressed her head firmly to her chest, stroking her fingers through her charred hair. "You do not know how badly I wish to see you again, to tell you how to find me, but it is all I can do right now to send you this message, my power is greatly inhibited."

"What do you mean?" Terna shifted slightly. "Does someone…Has someone captured you."

"Yes, it is as we feared."

"Then I have to find you!" Terna cried. "Please, tell me where you are."

"Hush now. They may be listening."

Terna felt more tears push at the corners of her eyes, "But what am I supposed to do?" she demanded. "Leave you wherever you are? You're all I have left! The others are all dead; the next dimension was a trap, everyone else burned."

"I'm afraid you are mistaken, _neptem_," the other Lyall replied. "While the majority of our people were killed in that dreadful incident, we are not the only survivors."

Terna's heart hammered against her ribs. "You mean…there are others?"

"Yes."

"But how? The Daleks said all of the Lyall burned."

"Renaissance."

"What?"

"Do you remember, Eva? Renaissance was the project that was formed in an alliance between our people and the people of Gallifrey, the Lords of Time. The war with the Daleks had taken everything from us, our home planet, our Empire; we had been chased to the Wastes. We wanted to try and return to our old ways, to become proper Gods once more. We wanted to create a perfect being."

Terna nodded slowly, remembering the numbers burned onto Susan's forearm and the scars on the Doctor's neck. "But what does that…?"

"The God Project," the other Lyall replied, her grip subtly tightening around Terna's shoulders, "The God Project did not just use Time Lords as test subjects, but Lyall as well."

Terna gasped. "Look at your arm," the other Lyall continued. Slowly, Terna glanced down, and nudged her wrist so it was facing up. There, seared into her arm was a blackened set of numbers.

142.

Terna shook her head, her wet eyes glassing over as she tried to make sense of all the thoughts churning in her mind. "But how…? Where? This wasn't here before."

"It was removed, Eva, as was your memories of being a test subject in Renaissance. But what I say is true; you were a part of the project, as was I. We were taken to Gallifrey along with dozens of others where we were subjected to desperate and traumatic experimentation."

Terna's mind felt like a river, thoughts rushing past her as her memories poured down into the basin of her brain like a waterfall from the abyss above.  
"How-How did we escape?"

"You."

"Me?"

"Yes, _neptem, _as part of an experiment, several of our kind were exposed to something called the Untempered Schism: a direct entrance to the Time Vortex, a tunnel that leads to all of Time and Space. We Lyall are highly Space-sensitive beings, but we lack Time-sensitivity. The Time Lords tried to see what would happen if we were exposed to the raw temporal energy of the Schism."

"Some ran away, some went mad," Terna whispered. She remembered; she remembered being crouched in the darkness, trying not to hear the screams of her fellow Lyall as their minds burned.

"And then there was you."

Terna tensed. She remembered being bound and gagged, being dragged before a great column of some kind of energy; it wasn't light, it wasn't darkness, it was something in-between. She remembered screaming, crying, begging as they held her eyes open and forced her to stare deep into the depths of the Time-Space continuum, where the two great forces of the universe met and collided with each other .

She remembered the fire in her mind, the blood leaking from her eyes as the raw power seeped into her being. "Do you remember what you did?" the other Lyall asked.

Terna scrunched up her face, but those memories were like ashes, lost in the wind with nothing but traces of pain remaining. "You harnessed your power as the Animalus Reginum, the Queen of Souls. You used your connection to all the Lyall's souls to free all those imprisoned in Renaissance and set them loose in the Time Vortex through the Untempered Schism, freeing them from the God Project's wrath and the lie of escape into the fifth dimension. You saved the last of our kind, Eva. You saved your people."

Terna's face was sticky with sweat and tears; her mouth was as dry as a bone. "But…But I _distinctly_ remember the lie of the fifth dimension, of shedding my form and being cast into the Time Vortex!"

"As I said, your memories have been tampered with," the other Lyall replied. "The details of your recent history were removed from your mind in order to confuse you, to make you believe that you were the last of your kind."

"But who would do such a thing?"

"Can you think of no one?"

Terna paused before suddenly remembering what the Leader Dalek had said to her. "The mole! The one who tricked our people into believing they could escape!"

"Yes, I'm afraid one of our kind has betrayed our people and used the confusion and loss that our people felt with most of the Royal family in the hands of the God Project to trick them into destroying themselves."

Terna felt anger as the prominent emotion in her whirlwind of feeling. "And what of the mole?"

"I do believe he has survived and is still out there right now," the other Lyall replied. "I believe he tampered with your memories in order to prevent you from finding the members of our kind that you managed to save, so he can find them first."

"Then I have to get to them before he does!" Terna cried, trying to sit up but finding her body was still a useless mess.

"Dispelling that Time Storm has drained your Force Amina, Eva," the other Lyall explained. "Your new body has also sustained grave injuries on Skaro, I see."

"What am I supposed to do then?" Terna cursed her own frailness.

"Here. Allow me," Terna caught a glimpse of golden light out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't Amina…No, it was distinctly different.

"What's…" Terna's voice trailed off.

"You see, I too gazed into the Untempered Schism which has granted me a special form of energy that I can use to restore my body and the bodies of others if I wish, if only for a short time. You possess a similar energy now as well," she added. "It has given you the body you possess now and even allowed you to heal the injuries of that Time Lord companion of yours when you were imprisoned in that cave."

"You mean, Amina hasn't given me healing abilities?"

"I'm afraid not," the other Lyall laughed slightly, and Terna felt her cheeks go red. "The energy you used was not Amina, it was the energy of Time, the power that flows from the Untempered Schism: Regeneration, I believe it is called."

"Regeneration?"

"Yes, and now I will use some of my own lingering Regeneration energy to heal you. Although, I'm afraid the process shall rouse you and end our time together."

"No! Avia, wait!" Terna cried, fidgeting her useless limbs. "I still have so many questions."

"And I am afraid I am out of answers," Avia replied sadly as she moved to pass the golden Regeneration energy to Terna's body. "But I do not have any doubts that our paths will cross again, not just in dreams but one day in the flesh. Go now, my _neptum_, and find the others of our kind that you managed to save."

"Wait! Avia," Terna interrupted. "What about…What about Rangi? Is he…Did I save him?"

For the first time, the other Lyall faltered. "I'm afraid I do not know."

Terna resigned herself with a sigh. "I guess I'll just have to find out."

"Indeed. Godspeed, my little _neptum_, Godspeed." With that, the Lyall known as Avia placed her hand brimming with Regeneration energy on Terna's forehead. The effect was not at all pleasant: Terna felt like hot magma was slowly pouring down her body, slowly seeping into each pour.

She let out a strangled cry as pain and fire filled her insides. The pain consumed her whole form, blotting out anything else, and Terna could feel the dream scape slowly ebbing away.

The last thing she heard before everything went black was the Lyall called Avia whispering in her ear.  
"Beware. The Eyes are watching."

()()()

"Terna? Terna!"

"Huh?" Terna's eyelids fluttered, and she caught a brief glimpse of Susan leaning over her, her face lined with concern.

"Grandfather, I think she's waking up!" Susan exclaimed.

"Finally, I hope this doesn't become a thing with her," the Doctor was heard from the other side of Terna.

"Very funny," the Lyall murmured as she managed to open her eyes fully and regain proper control of her senses once more: the first thing she noticed was that she was lying on a surprisingly soft surface, certainly not one of the stiff cots in the TARDIS medical bay.

"How are you feeling?" Susan asked as Terna finally managed to sit up, that alone was a blessing.

"Actually, pretty good," Terna replied after a moment's thought.

"That's no surprise," the Doctor grumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Terna demanded.

"See for yourself." Susan could barely suppress a smile as she held up a handheld mirror in front of Terna's face.  
The Lyall's jaw dropped when she took in her reflection. Her skin had been healed to the point her burns had scarred over completely, but that wasn't all; the lines and creases had almost completely vanished from her face, now only a few remained around the corners of her eyes, pronounced in a rather pleasant way when she smiled.  
But the biggest change was the hair, no longer charred ash-colored remains but a new crop of golden blonde locks was sweeping around Terna's shoulders and trailing in elegant waves down her back.

"You're a blonde, Terna!" Susan exclaimed. "I used to be a blonde once. It's a shame I'm not anymore, otherwise we could match."

"How…" Terna was practically speechless as she took the mirror from Susan and gaped down at her new face. Was this the power of that so-called Regeneration energy that Avia had mentioned?

Avia…Suddenly everything that Terna had seen and heard suddenly came rushing back in one great wave.

"Terna, why are you crying?" Susan exclaimed.

"Now really, there's no need for that," the Doctor added. "I dare say it's an improvement."

"It's not that," Terna sniffed, wiping her eye as the Doctor passed her a handkerchief. "Thanks," she added to him as she unceremoniously blew her nose.

"Terna, what's wrong?" Susan asked.

Terna avoided the question, momentarily glancing around. "Where are we?" she asked as she took in her surroundings; she was sitting on an ornate four poster bed draped in gorgeous blue curtains with a matching comforter. A white wood fireplace burned in the corner, the firelight's shadows danced across a Persian rug. There was a large white wardrobe in the corner and a chest at the foot of the bed. However, the most striking things about the room were the walls and ceiling which were works of art in themselves. In the dim light of the fire, the eerie images of figures and faces swirling about in painted patterns of blue and yellow, black and white danced across the walls and twirled along the ceiling.

Terna felt new tears in her eyes as she watched the graceful movements of the painted Lyall. She jumped slightly when she felt Susan's hand on her own. "Terna, please tell me what's wrong." Terna was taken aback by the genuine concern in her eyes."

"Before you do that," the Doctor interjected, "I wouldn't mind an explanation as to how everything in the TARDIS was suddenly put to rights in just one flash of light."

Terna gave him a shrewd smile, "What makes you think I had anything to do with it?"

"Well, when the light died down, you were the only one of us unconscious," the Doctor reminded her.

Terna bit her lip. "Touche." She then proceeded to explain what had occurred while the others had all been frozen in time, about her interactions with the TARDIS matrix, and her manipulating the Amina of the new galaxy in order to dispel the Time Storm and free them from certain destruction.

The more she talked, the bigger Susan's eyes got until Terna feared they might pop out of her head. "So, you actually helped the TARDIS break itself free?!" she exclaimed. "That's amazing."

"To be fair, I did most of the work," Terna corrected her. "This is a pretty bitchy time machine you have her, Time Lord. No offense," she added to the ceiling.

"Well, this explains this room suddenly appearing," Susan piped up. "This must be the TARDIS's way of thanking you for saving it and all of us."

"She actually doesn't like being called an 'it'."

"Well, it would appear this machine of mine can think after all," the Doctor mused, getting to his feet. "Go figure. Oh and really, Terna, must you keep stealing my coats?"

"What?" Terna glanced down to see that, once again, the Doctor's black tailcoat was draped over her body like a blanket. "Technically, Time Lord," she replied with a wry smile. "I don't keep taking them; you keep giving them to me."

The Doctor snorted. "Fine. Whatever," he turned to leave. "I best go make sure that those two humans haven't gotten into any of my things while I was away."

"Wait, Doctor," the Doctor paused on the threshold leading to what looked like a spiral staircase. "There's something else I need to tell you," Terna glanced at Susan. "Both of you."

Terna then spent a good few minutes recounting the events of the dream she'd experienced after falling unconscious, about the Lyall known as Avia appearing to her and revealing the truth behind the end of the Lyall and the fall of Renaissance."

Tears were slipping from the corners of Susan's eyes when Terna got to the latter subject; the Doctor meanwhile looked ready to punch a hole in a wall; he settled for pounding on the bedside table so hard the lamp clattered to the floor. "So, you're saying, they entire purpose of the God Project, of all the torment Susan and I went through as well as countless others like us was simply to benefit your own people's needs?" he snarled.

"Hey, don't go throwing this solely on us," Terna exclaimed, jumping up from her bed despite the action resulting in her head spinning slightly. "I was a part of the God Project too," she added, jamming her wrist in the Doctor's face so he could see the clearly marked numbers sewn into her skin. "Both Lyall and Time Lords were subjected to the God Project."

The Doctor still seemed unconvinced. "Oh really? And why are you suddenly recalling all this now?"

"Is this another of those memory problems you mentioned, Terna?" Susan inquired.

Terna shook her head. "No. My mind was deliberately tampered with. I was given false memories that made me forget our involvement in Renaissance."

"Who would do such a thing?" Susan asked.

Terna turned to her. "Do you remember on Skaro? The Leader Dalek said they had planted a mole amongst those of us that hadn't been a part of the God Project and tricked them into killing themselves off; there was a traitor amongst our ranks and, according to Avia, he may have survived."

"And how do you know this Avia can be trusted?" the Doctor demanded.

"Believe me, I know."

The Doctor raised a brow. "Oh? And how's that."

"Because she's my grandmother."

Susan clapped a hand to her mouth. "That's why I was crying," Terna said to her. "Because I was lead to believe my people were all dead, that my entire race was gone forever, but I was wrong. There are others out there, one's that I saved, one's that I loved. My family could be out there for all I know."

"Oh, Terna that's wonderful!" Susan exclaimed.

"So, what does this have to do with us?" the Doctor demanded.

"Well, I don't have any idea as to where the members of my kind that I saved from Renaissance are at the moment; they were scattered throughout all of time and space through that Uninterrupted Schism thing."

"Untempered Schism," the Doctor corrected.

"Whatever," Terna waved his correction aside. "Quite frankly, it's an overwhelming idea, all of time and space and no leads as to where to look first." The Lyall grinned in spite of herself, "But it seems that fate has finally dealt me a good hand."

"And what do you mean by that?" the Doctor asked.

"Duh," Terna held her arms aloft. "I was dumped into a Space-Time Machine of all things. The whole universe is my backyard. I can go anywhere and everywhere, all through space and time."

"Which means you'll be able to find your people!" Susan exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"Now hold a second, Terna," the Doctor interjected. "I'm not a chauffeur. What makes you think I'll willingly valet you all across the universe?"

Terna responded with a smug grin. "You don't have much choice in the matter, since I'm here to stay."

"She wouldn't do any harm, Grandfather," Susan added.

"And besides, it's not like you have anywhere important to be, and you can't even control where you land anyways."

The Doctor scowled. "Fine. Do what you wish," he snapped, turning towards the door. Susan jumped up from the bed and scampered past him.

"Come on, Terna, you have to see where your room is," she called as she skipped up the stairs.

Terna smiled after her, but it soon faded when she remembered the last words her grandmother spoke to her before she'd disappeared.

The Eyes are watching.

"I don't like that unsettled look in your eyes," the Doctor commented, jerking Terna from her thoughts.

"Are you certain there isn't anything else we should be concerning ourselves with? This mole you mentioned, perhaps?"

Terna faltered. "No," she finally replied.

The Doctor's eyes narrowed. "I hope you aren't keeping important information from me, Lyall, because, like it or not, our fates are intertwined now, and I don't want your presence to potentially threaten Susan or myself. Do I make myself clear?"

Terna gritted her teeth. "Just be careful," she finally said, "Don't go sticking your nose in places where it doesn't belong."

The Doctor snorted. "I'm not making any promises, not to you or anyone else."

With that, he left.

Terna lingered in the middle of the room for a few moments before she proceeded to peel the rest of the bandages from her now relatively smooth hands.

After a short time, she too made her way up the spiral stairs, where they lead she didn't know.

Terna yelped in surprise when she nearly smacked her head on a trap door above her head. Puzzled, she pressed her hand against it and it lifted after slight effort on her part.

The trap door was lifted up from the floor and collapsed behind the Lyall as she popped her head up out of the floor to find herself now in the middle of the Console Room.

"Whoa, what?" she whispered.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Susan exclaimed from the corner where she was busy layering herself with several articles of winter garments.

"Just make sure you close that door behind you," the Doctor called to her as he fumbled with a long black cloak. "We don't want anyone falling down those stairs."

"Uh, right," Terna quickly hoisted herself out of the hole in the floor and closed the trap door behind her. "So, my room's right under the Console?" she added.

"Yep. As far as I'm concerned, you've got a five star sweet," Susan exclaimed as she wound a scarf around her neck. "The heat from the TARDIS Heart will keep you nice and warm at night."

"Speaking of warm," Terna remarked. "Why are you two dressed like that?"

"Look at the scanner," the Doctor replied, gesturing to the screen. "See where we've landed.

Terna obliged and saw that the screen now depicted a vast tundra stretching out for miles in every direction and completely covered in a thick blanket of frosty snow; bright sunlight streamed down from the pale sky to dance across the frozen surface, making the landscape almost sparkle in the daylight.

"Where are we?"

"I don't know," the Doctor replied, tugging on a pair of gloves, "Which is why we're going outside to check it out. Now, where have Ms. Wright and Mr. Chesterton gotten to?"

As if on cue, Ian entered, also dressed in winter clothes, "I don't think Barbara's really up for the excursion," he declared. "Oh, hello, Terna. Glad to see you're awake," he added to the Lyall.

Terna noticed he didn't seem all that surprised at her new appearance, perhaps he'd witnessed the change while she was still unconscious.

"I see. Still upset about all that's happened, I suppose," the Doctor mused. "Here. I'll go take to her."

"I'll come too," Terna added, following the Doctor out of the room and into the side sitting room where they found Barbara sitting on one of the couches, looking slightly disturbed.

Her face brightened somewhat when she saw Terna enter. "Oh, Terna, you look marvelous. Ian said your appearance had changed, but I didn't believe him. It's wonderful."

"Yes, it's quite the improvement isn't it," the Doctor added.

Barbara didn't respond.

The Doctor sighed. "Ms. Wright, I'd like to talk to you, if I may. We've landed on a planet; the air is good, but it's rather cold outside."

"I know. Susan told me," Barbara replied; she didn't make eye contact.

"Yes, you haven't forgiven me, have you?" the Doctor observed.

"You said terrible things to us," Barbara replied.

Yes, I suppose it's the injustice that's upsetting you," the Doctor mused, "And, when I made a threat to put you off the ship, it must have affected you very deeply."

"What do you care what I think or feel?" Barbara demanded bitterly.

"As we learn about each other, so we learn about ourselves," the Doctor recited.

Barbara tried to hide it, but the Time Lord caught the hint of a smile teasing at the corners of her mouth at that. "Perhaps."

"Oh, yes. Because I accused you unjustly, you were determined to prove me wrong. So, you put your mind to the problem and, luckily, you solved it," the Doctor continued. "And I'd like to apologize to you too, Terna," he added to the Lyall, who was leaning against the door frame, watching the whole exchange. "I treated you all unfairly and I'm deeply sorry."

Terna smiled. "Thanks, and I'm sorry too. You know, for smacking you and threatening to stab you in the throat." She shrugged, "And I wouldn't worry too much. It's not the first time we've threatened to kill each other, and it certainly won't be the last."

The Doctor chuckled. At that moment, Susan pocked her head into the room. "Grandfather, we're leaving now."

"Oh, yes. Have Chesteron open the doors, would you?" the Doctor asked, getting to his feet. "Are you coming?" he added to Barbara.

The human woman hesitated for half a second before she stood up. "Yes."

"Oh, I hope Susan managed to show you to some proper apparel," the Doctor added. "We have a rather extensive wardrobe after all."

"Yes, she gave me these," Barbara replied, gesturing to a pair of thick snow boots and a furry pink parka, the latter of which she tossed over her shoulders.

"Ah, good. As, for you, Terna," he turned to the Lyall. "Follow me."

Terna raised a brow as she followed the Doctor back into the Console Room, Barbara close behind them to join Ian and Susan by the open TARDIS doors.

A sharp winter breeze cut through the warm interior of the time machine, sending a tremor up Terna's spine and sprinkling goose bumps along her arms.

"Ah, here we are," the Doctor had walked over to a coat rack in the corner where he promptly plucked an elegant, full-length white fur cloak. "I understand your previous coat was soiled in the Cave of Skulls," the Doctor explained as he held out the cloak to Terna, "So, here you are: a garment fit for a queen."

Terna paused for a second, unsure what to say before she took the coat from him. "Uh, thanks, Doctor. I guess."

The Time Lord grinned. "Doctor, you called me Doctor."

Terna started. "I…What?"

The Doctor laughed. "It's about time. Here. Let me help you with that," he added, seeing Terna struggle with the clasps on her cloak.

Terna felt her face grow hot with embarrassment as the Doctor leaned forward to assist her with the fastening her cloak properly.

"Thanks," she told her shoes."

"Grandfather, come on!" Susan called from outside the ship.

The Doctor and Terna turned around to see the other three had already gone outside into the bright winter air.

The exchanged a slight glance before following.

Crossing the threshold to the outside was like stepping into another world. Terna felt herself fully embraced in the cool pleasant embrace of a winter chill, everything was so sharp and bright, completely covered in that mysterious frozen substance that made the atmosphere almost seem to glow with a kind of eerie light.

The others seemed to be enjoying themselves as well. Susan was on her back amongst the thick dirfts making a snow angel; Ian and Barbara had found a patch of ice and were attempting to skate on it.

Terna felt a smile spread across her quickly numbing lips; it was cold, her breath came out in wisps of white steam, but she wasn't bothered by it at all.

"Hey, Barbara!" Susan had jumped to her feet and barely gave the human woman time to glance her way before she'd hurled a ball of pack snow directly at her. It struck Barbara in the shoulder and caused her to fall on her butt in a snowdrift.

"Man down!" Ian laughed.

"Why you!" Barbara grabbed a handful of snow and tried to throw it back, but Susan dodged and it caught Ian instead.

"Oh, it's on now!" Ian cried, grabbing two fistfuls of powder and throwing them simultaneously at the two girls.

"Grandfather!" Susan called and the Doctor staggered back as another icy ball caught him in the side of the face.

Terna laughed just before another snow ball from an unknown assailant suddenly struck her in the face; she slipped back on a patch of ice and fell flat on her back in the snow.

Susan gasped. "Uh oh," Ian turned to Barbara. "You're dead."

"Terna," the young Time Lady rushed over to her. "Are you alright."

But Terna was giggling; no, she was roaring with laughter. So much so that she could hardly get back up. Seeing she was alright, Susan started laughing as well, and the two rolled around in the snow for a few minutes.

"Good lord," Terna gasped as she finally managed to sit up, snow was plastered all over her new blonde hair, causing the soaking locks to stick to her forehead. "I did not see that coming."

"Are you alright, Terna?" Barbara asked. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm fine," Terna replied, waving a dismissive hand.

"Hey, Grandfather. Come look at this," Susan called from a short distance away where she was on her hands and knees looking intently at the snow.

"What is it, child?" the Doctor asked as he and the two humans wandered over to where Susan was.

"Look at this huge footprint," Susan gestured to a distinct imprint in the snow. It was at least seven inches across and embedded deep in the snow.

"That's no human footprint," Ian remarked, noting the distinct three toes.

"What do you suppose it is?" Terna asked, getting to her feet and coming flecks of ice out of her soggy hair.

"It looks like it was made by a giant," Susan exclaimed.

At that moment, a giant roar sudden ripped through the silent snow covered glade. Everyone froze and whipped around towards the direction of the noise.

Terna's blood ran cold, and she doubted it was due to the weather.

"What was that?" Barbara whispered.

"Whatever it was, it sounded close," Ian replied.

"Perhaps we should go back into the ship now?" the Doctor offered.

"Yes, let's," Terna agreed, and the others nodded before they all dashed back into the TARDIS and quickly closed the door behind them.

A familiar whirling sound echoed throughout the tundra, slowly rising in volume before it abruptly died down, leaving nothing but silence in its wake.

* * *

A/N: No, Terna did not Regenerate, it was more like a 'rejuvenation' I guess. Her burns were healed to the point they scarred over, and she physically looks about fifteen years younger and her hair color changed from grey to blonde. However, just so we're clear, the energy that Terna used to heal the Doctor's slit throat in the Cave of Skulls in Chapter 5 wasn't actually Amina but rather the remnants of her 'Regeneration' energy that had lingered as she'd only had her body for about 15 hours, at least from her point of view. Well, I hope that clears everything up, and I hope you all enjoyed.


	12. The Aztecs

I know I said I wouldn't be back until Christmas, but I managed to put aside some time to finish this chapter that was already almost complete.  
I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 12: The Aztecs

* * *

Sometime later, I awoke far happier than I'd ever thought I'd find myself within the walls of the seemingly endless TARDIS, but she and I seemed to be on better terms nowadays, after that whole incident with the Time Storm, so maybe that had something to do with it.

Currently, I found myself sitting cross-legged on the floor in the middle of the Console Room with a pen in one hand and a vanilla milkshake in the other. Spread out all around me were piles upon piles of maps and charts, all wrinkled and faded from countless folding and refolding and dotted with smears of ink from my spindly handwriting as I scribbled notes in the margin.

I twisted my pen through my fingers as I studied a particularly complex pattern of stars. The movement caused a fat blot of ink to fall from the tip and drip onto the hem of my dress.

I cursed quietly as I quickly readjusted myself, knocking the pink curly straw out of my milkshake upon doing so.

I sighed as I plopped the straw back into the glass and then proceeded to try and rub out the ink stain with a paper napkin. My initial good mood of the morning was slowly draining away as I stared down the throat of the immensely overwhelming task that lay ahead of me.

How in God's name was I going to find the surviving Lyall with absolutely zero leads? Despite having all of time and space at my fingertips, I didn't have the slightest clue on where to look.

It was like trying to find a needle in a stack of needles.

I was letting my thoughts simmer as I chewed on the tip of my curly straw when Ian entered looking predictably defeated. He had, after all, challenged the Doctor to another checkers match.

"Lose again?" I asked through the straw clenched in my teeth.

"Yeah." Ian paused as his eyes fell on me, "Are you…Are you drinking a milkshake out of a _wine glass_?"

"Yeah, so?" I demanded, setting the glass down.

"I…Never mind," Ian didn't seem to have the brain power left to come up with a decent argument as to why one shouldn't drink a milk shake out of a wine glass.

The TARDIS landed anyways at that moment as the column in the center of the Console stopped moving, and the low level hum of flight ceased to be replaced by the faint thud of the ship setting down, followed by silence.

"We've landed," Ian observed.

"Indeed," I replied, jumping to my feet. "I wonder where."

"Somewhere pleasant, I hope," Ian replied.

"Well, it's quiet," I remarked. "Last place we landed, we couldn't even go outside because we had natives throwing spears at the ship."

"The ship's landed!" Susan exclaimed as she entered the room, closely followed by Barbara and the Doctor. "Oh, Terna, I love your dress," she added to me.

"Thanks," I replied, fingering the cloth as I spoke. Today I'd selected a midnight blue, V-necked, shoulder exposing gown with a neckline trimmed in blue feathers and jewels from the TARDIS wardrobe. Elaborate blue earrings and a matching necklace dangled from my ears and neck, and Susan's pearls were nestled in my carefully sculpted blonde curls.

"Terna, would you clean up this mess," the Doctor called to me, trying to step over the scattered pile of maps as he moved over to the Console and flicked on the scanner. The five of us were met with nothing but a screen of dense darkness.

"Is it not working?" I asked as I attempted to gather all the maps together into a semi-organized pile.

"No, it's simply too dark to see anything," the Doctor replied.

"So it's night time?" Ian offered.

"No, if it were night time, we'd be able to see city lights, fire's glow, or at the very least some stars," the Doctor asserted.

"Where are we?" Barbara inquired.

"I don't know from the outset," the Doctor replied, switching off the scanner. "We could be in a cave or a windowless building. For all I know, we could be miles underground."

I felt my insides twist. "Please don't say that," I whispered.

"Well, we won't know unless we go outside and see for ourselves," Susan piped up.

"Yes, I suppose so," the Doctor agreed, flicking a few more switches. "Well, everything seems to be alright; the air is breathable, actually quite clean."

"Great. Let's go," Susan exclaimed.

"Alright, you go ahead, Susan; I'll join you in a moment," the Doctor declared. "Chesteron, if you don't mind, I just need a hand with this: a few knobs on the Console are loose, and I want them tightened again, so they don't fall off."

Ian nodded. "Alright. You go on ahead, Barbara," he added to his friend. "I'll catch up."

"Ok."

"You're coming too, aren't you Terna?" Susan asked.

"Uh, sure," I replied as I set my stack of papers down on the Egyptian throne in the corner. "I guess a quick peek around wouldn't hurt."

"Splendid," the Doctor declared as he pulled the lever, and the TARDIS doors slowly swung open. "Just be careful, and don't wander off."

"We won't," Susan replied cheerfully as she skipped out of the time machine, Barbara and I close behind her.

The air outside was cool and damp; it had a musty scent about it, heavy with a pungent odor.

I wrinkled my nose; whatever it was, it didn't smell right. "Well, we're definitely inside something," I declared, noting the dense atmosphere.

I sneezed as Barbara began to slowly feel her way around the closed space.

"I wonder if there's a light around here somewhere," she mumbled.

"Hang on," I called to her, pulling the Omni-Vice out of my pocket; in a flash of gold, I'd fashioned the magnifying glass into a fully functioning torch.

"That thing sure is amazing," Susan mused as I shined the light around the room, illuminating a low-ceilinged space filled with an assortment of objects, all covered in a thick layer of dust and decay. The walls were made of ceramic tile and arranged to form colored pictures, much like Egyptian hieroglyphs.

However, our attention was quickly drawn to the center of the room where a stone altar was placed and a body lay out across it. He was little more than a skeleton now: his leathery skin stretched thin across worn, grey bones. He was draped in an assortment of fine clothing consisting of bright cloths, a number of clay beads and long, bright feathers. A wooden mask painted in a variety of colors was draped over the hollow skull.

"Look at that," Barbara exclaimed, rushing over to examine the body more closely.

"I am," Susan replied, looking understandably disturbed. I was too; now I knew where that smell was coming from: the scent of death. I sneezed again and covered my nose.

"What is it?" I asked thickly.

"It's an Aztec mask!" Barbara exclaimed, seeming to become more excited by the minute. "He must have been a priest."

"Who are the Aztecs?" I inquired. I felt like my nose was full of cotton. _Damn, all this dust_. I sneezed again

"The Aztecs were a tribe of Mexican Natives," Susan explained. "That means we're on Earth again."

"I wonder what year it is," I mused, fishing in my pocket until I found a handkerchief the Doctor had given me and loudly blew my nose.

"This man must have died around 1430, I should think," Barbara replied, fingering one of the Aztec priest's many necklaces.

"How do you know that?" Susan asked.

"All these things belong to the Aztec's early period," Barbara replied simply, picking up another necklace made of stones and shells.

Susan smiled, "That's what I call really knowing your subject."

_That's right, I'd forgotten Barbara had been a teacher of Earth history in her own time_, I recalled as I trailed the torch beam around the tomb.

"Well, the Aztecs were one of my specialties, Susan," Barbara explained, reaching forward and slipping on a bracelet meant to resemble a coiled serpent.

"Well, what little I know about them doesn't impress me," Susan muttered as she picked up a stone knife lying at the edge of the altar.

"And why's that?" I asked, blowing my nose a second time.

"They used to cut out people's hearts as sacrifices to their gods," Susan explained to me.

"That's barbaric!" I exclaimed, almost dropping the handkerchief.

"Oh, that was only one side of their nature," Barbara asserted. "The other side was highly civilized."

"Well, the Spanish didn't think so," Susan added.

"Oh, they only saw the acts of sacrifice," Barbara replied, moving away from the body and going over to examine a large jug draped in clay beads. "That's the tragedy of the Aztecs: they were all but destroyed, the good as well as the evil."

"So, these Spanish killed them all?" I inquired.

"Yes, they came here looking for gold not that long after the time we're in now," Susan explained.

"So, the Aztecs are all gone now, Barbara?" I asked with a sniff.

"In my time, yes," Barbara replied sadly, fingering more of the stone beads, "The Aztecs are all but extinct."

"Cortez landed in 1520, didn't he?" Susan asked.

"Well, let's hope we don't end up in the middle of this war between the Aztecs and the Spanish," I mused as I walked the length of the room so as to take a closer look at the pictures on the walls.

I sneezed again.

"Terna, are you alright?" Susan inquired, coming up behind me.

"I'm fine," I replied with another sniff, "I'm just allergic to dust."

"Really?" Susan raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know Lyall could have allergies."

"I'm a creature of Creation, Susan," I explained, blowing my nose again, "I have an aversion to all types of decay: dust, mold, lichen, fungus, you name it."

"I see. Hey, Look. Cartoons!" Susan exclaimed, pointing at a section of wall depicting a group of elaborately clothed men sitting around a campfire. "They've got bubbles coming out of their mouths."

I winced. "Uh, I don't think those are-," I was cut off when Susan accidentally leaned against the wall, and it slowly moved upward.

"Oh!" Susan jumped back in surprise.

"It's a door," I exclaimed as the wall swung upward and bright tropical sunlight poured into the tomb. "Ah, that's much better."

"Barbara, look," Susan called to the human woman, who quickly rushed over to peer outside.

"What's out there?" I inquired, turning off the torch.

"I'll see," Barbara replied as, without hesitation, she stepped over the threshold and exited the tomb.

"Don't go too far," Susan called after her.

"Don't worry; there's no one here," Barbara replied.

"We should probably get Ian and the Doctor," I stated.

"Good idea," Susan replied. "Barbara," she added, "We're going to get the others."

The human woman didn't respond.

Susan and I exchanged a glance. The former shrugged before turning and heading back towards the TARDIS; I followed close behind.

When we reentered the Console Room, Susan and I eagerly explained where it was we seemed to have landed to Ian and the Doctor.

However, when the two men learned that Barbara had gone off on her own, they were none too pleased.

"I don't care if she's interested in them," the Doctor asserted Susan's protests. "I specifically told her not to go off on her own."

"The door!" his granddaughter interrupted, rushing over to the wall. "It's closed."

"It's alright. We just need to push on it," I reminded her, throwing my shoulder against it.

"Oh, right," Susan and Ian soon joined me, and the door swung up again to reveal a brightly lit courtyard.

The air was sweltering, thick with humidity.

"Barbara?" Ian called, glancing around. "Barbara?" he repeated, cautiously moving forward. "There's no sign of her."

"She was here just now," Susan insisted.

"Where do you suppose she got to?" I inquired.

"Doctor, look at this extraordinary city," Ian called from the other end of the courtyard where it opened up onto a wide platform and beyond that was a set of steps several feet wide that lead down a steep slope that had to be at least a few miles long. At the base of the carved, pyramid-like structure was an elaborate city spread out across a vast clearing hollowed out from a dense jungle.

"Yes, the Aztecs: they knew how build," the Doctor mused, striding over to join Ian at the pyramid's edge.

"We must be miles up," I commented, joining them to look out at the view below us.

"And the place seems absolutely deserted," Ian added.

"Yes, and we should be thankful for that, Chesterton," the Doctor declared as he looked over a large altar sitting in the center of the platform. "These Aztecs has some pretty gruesome habits. I should hate to be carved up on that thing by some Aztec high priest."

"The door!" Ian suddenly cried, interrupting him.

We all turned back around at the sound of a muffled groaning to see that the entrance to the tomb was falling shut again.

"Quickly!" the Doctor called as Ian dove forward in a desperate attempt to catch it, but it slammed shut with a definitive clunk before he could reach it.

"Hurry, open it up; the TARDIS is in there," I reminded him, rushing over with the other two close behind.

Ian ran his hands along the carved surface, "There's nothing to get a grip on."

"There must be some way of opening it," Susan cried.

"Yes, you push from the other side," the Doctor replied grimly, "These tombs were designed to prevent grave robbers, not to aid and abet them."

"Well, that's no help to us," I exclaimed. "How are we supposed to get back in?"

"Autloc, the High Priest of Knowledge most humbly greets the servants of Yetaxa," a voice called from behind us before the Doctor could respond.

Everyone whirled around, bewildered, only to be greeted by an aged Aztec man clothed in elaborate garments similar to the corpse in the tomb. He bowed deeply to us.

Ian and the Doctor exchanged a glance. "The servants of whom, sir?" the latter demanded.

"Yetaxa, the High Priest," the man replied as though this were obvious.

"Where's Barbara?" Ian demanded.

"Of whom do you speak?" the man asked, confused.

"The woman who was here a moment ago," I offered.

"In due time you shall meet again, but first grant us our courtesies," the man replied. "No evil exists in our hearts towards you. In fact, we honor you." He bowed again.

The Doctor stepped forward. "What did you say your name was?" he inquired.

"Autloc," the man replied.

"And you are the High Priest?"

"As I serve."

"Do you know where we come from?"

"The tomb."

"Tell me," the Doctor gestured to the door behind us with his cane. "Is there any way to open that tomb from the outside?"

"The tomb is sealed," Autloc replied definitively. "Go now with these attendants, and soon you shall meet the one who wears the bracelet of Yetaxa."

As he spoke, a group of men in woven armor carrying spears approached from the shadows and surrounded us.

"What was he talking about?" the Doctor whispered.

"He must be talking about Barbara," Susan replied. "She picked up a bracelet from the tomb."

"Yes, a serpent, wasn't it?" I added before flinching when I suddenly felt something stroking my hair. I turned to see one of the Aztec guards carefully petting me, his face full of curiosity.

"Right. I suppose we should go meet her," Ian declared as I slowly backed away from the guard.

"Yes, I suppose we should," the Doctor agreed, and we all allowed the guards to lead us away from the tomb.

As calmly as possible, we strode out of the courtyard and onto the platform that overlooked the Aztec city. Autloc was waiting for us, and he bowed deeply, as was another man lurking in the shadows.

Susan gasped and recoiled, burying her face in Ian's chest as the man lumbered closer to get a better look at us. I didn't blame her; he was repugnant looking: his stringy dark hair was filthy and tangled and hung in his eyes. His clothes were battered and covered in gruesome stains. A stripe of red paint ran across his mouth, and it accented his small black eyes which glittered with an intense malice.

He regarded us for a moment before stooping his crouched form into an awkward bow.

"You know who he is, hm?" the Doctor inquired of Ian as he lightly placed a hand on my elbow to stop me from taking out my Omni-Vice.

"The local butcher, by the look of him," Ian replied gravely.

"Exactly."

Growing impatient, one of the guards jabbed us in the back, and we allowed ourselves to be lead away.

()()()

The Aztec guards lead us into a large temple built onto the pyramid's flat top.

We were ushered into a side room, which was dark and housed no windows, where we were left to ourselves. "Well, they've treated us alright so far," Susan mused.

"The Aztecs always showed the utmost courtesy towards their intended victims," the Doctor replied.

"Oh, don't say that," I groaned, sitting down on a sofa.

At that moment, another guard entered; he crossed his fist over his chest and bowed deeply, nearly smacking the Doctor in the face with the plumage of his feathered helmet.

Silently, he gestured for us to exit the side room into the main chamber of the temple.

The Doctor led us out of the room, brushing the woven curtain that acted as a door aside, and we all filed into a surprisingly large, high-ceilinged space. In the center of the room there was a carved throne and on top of the throne sat Barbara. She was draped from head to toe in elaborate garments of gold and orange feathers with a crown of sunflowers sitting on her head. I thought she looked surprisingly regal sitting on that throne, flanked by a group of guards.

The guard who had led us into the throne room went up to Barbara, performing the same arm cross and bow motion to her that he had to us.

"Leave us," Barbara promptly said to him. The soldier nodded, beckoning to the other guards, and they all quickly left.

The Doctor laughed at the display, "Good gracious."

"Barbara!" Ian exclaimed, causing her to look over, and her face broke into a wide grin when she saw us. "What on earth are you doing there?" Ian exclaimed.

"They think I'm a reincarnation of the priest in the tomb," Barbara explained as we all drew closer to the throne.

I had to admit, it was a strange feeling: to be standing _beside _a throne rather than sitting on it.

"I found this and put it on," Barbara continued to explain, holding out the serpent bracelet that was still coiled around her arm, "And when the High Priest caught me outside the tomb, I was still wearing it."

"So he thought you were a god?" Susan asked.

Barbara nodded.

"Well, stroke of luck you were still wearing it," I declared.

"But the priest in the tomb is a man, how can you be a reincarnation of him?" Susan inquired.

"The form the spirit takes isn't important, Susan," Barbara explained, tapping the bracelet on her wrist, "This is what's important."

"Yes, that High Priest," Ian piped up, "What was his name?" he asked the Doctor.

"Autloc."

"Yes, Orkloc."

"_Aut_loc!" the Doctor and Barbara corrected simultaneously.

"Aut…loc," Ian tried again, "He said we were the servants of Yetaxa. Is that who they think you are?"

"Yes," Barbara replied.

"And we're your servants?" Ian exclaimed with a laugh.

"That's right."

"Charming," the Doctor declared as Susan and I both laughed.

"Well, it's very useful for us, Doctor," Barbara continued, "It means we can get into the tomb whenever we want; get into the TARDIS, and leave."

Susan and I abruptly stopped laughing; I'd forgotten about the TARDIS.

"We can't; it only opens from the outside," Susan explained.

"Reincarnations can come out, but human beings can't go in," the Doctor added.

"Yes, we must find out how that door opens," Ian mused.

"If it does open," I added.

"Yes, but that is one thing you mustn't do," the Doctor said to Barbara, "As Yetaxa, you're supposed to know everything. If the Aztecs decide you're not what you're supposed to be then we shall all die."

"Cheerful as always, Doctor," I grumbled, "But what exactly are we supposed to do in the mean time?"

Before anyone could come up with a response, Autloc and the other High Priest entered.

They both bowed before the one covered in blood straightened up and addressed Barbara: "Great Spirit of Yetaxa, I, Tlotoxl, High Priest of Sacrifice, salute you."

"As you said, Chesteron: the local butcher," the Doctor whispered to Ian.

"I acknowledge the High Priests' greeting," Barbara declared.

"For many days, the rain god has looked away from us," Autloc stated, "The land withers and our people groan."

"We have prayed that the land may one day be bountiful again," Tlotoxl continued, "And this day we honor Tlaloc's name."

"Who's that?" I whispered to the Doctor.

"Their god of rain and fertility," he replied.

"When the sun's light first touches the horizon to the West, the people will stand before the temple in obedience to our commands," Autloc explained. "We humbly beg, Great Spirit, that at that time the people shall see you and know that their suffering draws to an end."

"And Barbara will appear and down will come the rains," the Doctor whispered to Ian and me.

"I shall do as the High Priest requests," Barbara announced.

"We also beseech you, Great Spirit," Autloc added, "That you may permit your servants and your handmaidens to move freely among our people."

"Oh, Great Spirit," the Doctor turned to Barbara and bowed dramatically. "Grant this our wish that we may be your eyes and ears among the people to do our best and serve in all our interests."

"The aged servant of Yetaxa speaks with great wisdom," Autloc observed.

"The younger of my handmaidens remains with me," Barbara declared, gesturing to Susan, "The others may do as you wish."

"We shall await you," Autloc concluded as he and Tlotoxl both bowed again and then exited the temple.

I watched them go, "I must say Barbara, I'm impressed; you had them eating out of your hand."

The Doctor laughed, "A wonderful performance, my dear. Congratulations. What's more, we now have everything we want."

"We do?" Barbara asked.

"Yes, you and Susan here in safety, and Ian, Terna, and I outside finding out about the tomb," the Doctor explained.

"Alright, but I don't think we should take our eyes off those two for a second," Ian gestured after the two High Priests.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about them," the Doctor replied dismissively, "They're far too busy planning their miracle."

"What miracle?" Susan asked.

"He's talking about presenting Barbara to the public at the same time it rains," I explained to her.

"Well, then we shall do as they request," Barbara insisted, "We don't want to make a fuss."

"Quite right," the Doctor agreed.

"Alright then, let's go find out about this tomb," Ian insisted. "The sooner we're out of here, the better."

"There is one thing I don't understand, Doctor," Barbara called after the Time Lord, "The Aztecs supposedly spoke some language that eventually evolved into Mexican Spanish with the influence of Spain, and yet here they are speaking English."

"That's right," Ian agreed. "How is it we can understand them?"

"Oh, you have the TARDIS to thank for that," Susan piped up, "It transmits a telepathic field that translates all languages that we hear into a tongue we understand and vice versa. To them, we are speaking their own language."

"After all," the Doctor added, "Did you honestly think the Daleks and the Thals were speaking English?"

"That's extraordinary!" Ian exclaimed.

"All the same, let's get going," I declared. "Best of luck, Yetaxa," I added with a smug smile, bowing deeply to Barbara before following the other two out of the temple.

Once outside, we found Autloc and Tlotoxl bickering amongst themselves.

"Autloc, who serves Yetaxa?" Tlotoxl demanded.

"We do, as High Priests of the temple," Autloc replied.

"What purpose then serve the others?"

"Yetaxa has-," Autloc started, but Tlotoxl interrupted him.

"Would it not be better if one of them lead our force of arms?"

"The young man?" Autloc inquired.

"He is a warrior favored by the gods," Tlotoxl reminded him.

"But Ixta is our chosen warrior," Autloc asserted.

"Then let Ixta prove himself more worthy than the servant of Yetaxa," Tlotoxl replied; he then turned to the Doctor, Ian, and I, seemingly aware we had been listening the entire time. "It has been decided," he said to Ian. "The old man and woman may walk abroad, but you shall train to command our army."

"Surely that is for Yetaxa to decide," the Doctor protested.

"Yetaxa would not refuse so great an honor," Ian quickly insisted, "I accept," he added to Tlotoxl.

The High Priest grinned. "Excellent. Autloc, take the old man and woman to the Garden of Peace, so that they may sit in comfort."

He nudged the Doctor and me towards Autloc with the point of his crude blade. Reluctantly, we left Ian to follow Autloc.

Meanwhile, Tlotoxl threw his arm around Ian's shoulders. "Come with me to meet Ixta."

"And who's he?"

"Your rival to command," Tlotoxl replied with a sly grin.

I watched the exchange over my shoulder as we followed Autloc down the pyramid steps. "I trust that man about as far as I can throw him," I whispered to the Doctor.

The Doctor chuckled. "Funny, Terna, I was under the impression you could throw people pretty far."

()()()

The great Aztec city was its own thriving metropolis; cut off from the rest of the world, it was a paradise surrounded by thick and foreboding jungle. Autloc led the Doctor and me through the city streets, clogged thick with people buying and selling goods of all kinds, from pottery to livestock.

Many of the shoppers, although seemingly in a hurry, stopped mid-step to gawk at us as we were escorted past them. The frantic throng of noise that had once inhabited the market was soon replaced by the hushed voices of dozens of curious whispers.

"Seems word travels fast through this city's streets," the Doctor mused as the crowd parted to allow us to pass.

"I wish they'd stop looking at me like I've got three heads," I mumbled, flinching away from several small children who were trying to grab at my hair. An older man also attempted to do so, and the Doctor had to stop me from pulling my sword on him.

"Why are they all doing that?" I hissed through gritted teeth, still keeping my fist firmly clenched on the handle of the glass in my pocket.

"Well Terna, to these people, you are something of an anomaly," the Doctor declared.

"How so?"

"Haven't you noticed?" the Time Lord gestured to the crowd with his cane as we walked past. "These people are all of dark skin and hair and their eyes are usually brown; they have never seen a person with hair like spun gold and eyes the color of the sky."

"Oh, I see." This only saw to make me even more self-conscious.

Eventually, we arrived at a massive courtyard flanked by high walls at the edge of the pyramid. Autloc lead us through the gate and into a great garden. It was so thick it was like its own independent forest sliced off from the huge jungle surrounding the city; trees and bushes hung down across a path grown over with lush grass and shrubs. Moss and vines scattered across stone benches and chairs set along the paths. Brightly colored flowers swelled from the branches of trees and burst from vines and bushes. Heavy with foliage and fruit, the trees draped their branches across the walkways to provide a natural cover from the sweltering sun.

Milling about this wild and overgrown space were dozens of elderly Aztec men and women, all layered in drab, simple garments. They trailed along the paths at a slow, careless pace or rested in the shades of the many trees.

"What are all these people doing here?" the Doctor asked Autloc.

"It is our law that all who attain their fifty second year shall pleasurably pass the remainder of their lives free from responsibility and care," the High Priest explained.

"Sounds like a charmed life," I mused.

"Poor old souls, they must be bored to tears doing nothing," the Doctor exclaimed.

"We often seek the accumulated wisdom of their years," Autloc continued.

"What about?" I asked.

"All manner of things," Autloc replied. "Each person here has served the community in one way or another." He gestured to a man walking the opposite way down the garden path. "He was a weaver of priestly garments; she was a woman of medicine," he pointed to a woman collecting fruit from a nearby tree.

"And what about her?" the Doctor inquired, pointing to a surprisingly beautiful Aztec woman who was watering a series of brightly colored plants.

"That is Cameca," Autloc replied, "Of all those here, her advice is most sought after."

"And why is that?" I asked.

"You will find her to be a companion of wit and interest," Autloc explained simply. "And now, I beg permission to depart."

"Of course," the Doctor replied.

Autloc gave us a quick bow and then left.

"So, Doctor, what do you suggest we do next?" I inquired, "Better to get your hair-brained schemes out of the way now before we think of something useful. Doctor?"  
I glanced around, but he was nowhere in sight. "Doctor!"

I whirled around only to find the Time Lord on the other side of the garden talking with the woman called Cameca.

"Despite the drought there is still plenty of water for the flowers?" he was saying as I rushed over.

"One would rather go hungry than starve for beauty," Cameca replied with a smile as she handed the Doctor a flower.

"Oh, thank you," the Doctor exclaimed.

I poked him in the shoulder, "Don't do that," I snapped.

"Do what?"

"And who is this lovely woman?" Cameca inquired.

"Oh her? This is Terna: my, uh, companion," the Doctor explained.

"What a most extraordinary tunic, the color is magnificent," Cameca exclaimed, leaning forward to run her fingers across the beads and feathers that lined the low collar of my dress. "Pray tell, what is it made of?"

I blinked. "Er, chiffon?"

"How did you manage this? You are a greatly skilled weaver," Cameca gushed.

"Oh no, I didn't make this. You kidding me? I could never make a dress; I had people to do that for me."

Cameca stared at me, "You are a most curious person."

"Well, enough of that now," the Doctor waved our conversation aside, glancing around the garden. "You know, I find this place to be most restful," he added, striding further along the path, admiring the scenery.

"It is the Garden of Peace," Cameca stated, walking with him.

"A very apt description," the Doctor replied.

"The words of Topau," Cameca said.

"Who's Topau?" I asked, rushing after them.

"The man who built the temple," the Aztec woman explained.

"Oh, he designed all that, did he?" the Doctor exclaimed, gesturing to the pyramid with his cane.

"Yes, as a labor of love," Cameca mused.

"Indeed, one senses that immediately," the Doctor replied.

Behind them, I made a gagging nose.

"Does Topau come here often?" the Doctor inquired.

"He watches over it constantly," Cameca replied.

"Oh, I see. He's a gardener?"

"No."

"But you just said he watches over it."

"Yes, in spirit."

"She means he's dead, Doctor," I added when he looked confused.

"Oh, of course. Shall we sit down?" the Doctor offered as he and Cameca sat down on a carved bench.

There wasn't enough room on it for me, so I was forced to stand. I slumped against the wall and crossed my arms with a sour expression on my face.

"I would have liked to have met Topau," the Doctor declared.

"His son lives," Cameca offered.

"Is he a builder too?" I asked.

"A warrior," Cameca corrected.

"All the same, I suppose he knows much of his father's work," the Doctor declared. "I find the temple here very fascinating," he gestured to the huge building behind us, built into the great pyramid.

"A meeting between you could be arranged," Cameca piped up.

The Doctor's expression lit up. "My dear lady, I should be ever so grateful."

"Ian, what in God's name are you wearing!" I interrupted just as the addressed appeared clothed head to toe in full Aztec armor complete with elaborate feather-like plating, sashes, colorful beaded accents, and topped with a helmet shaped like a giant bird.

"My dear, Chesteron," the Doctor exclaimed, getting to his feet.

"You look ridiculous," I added.

"Chesteron, this kind lady has offered to arrange a meeting between us and the son of the man who built the temple," the Doctor explained, gesturing to Cameca with a flourish.

"Thank you, ma'am," Ian said to her, bowing, so that his bulky helmet bobbed slightly.

"Pray excuse me," Cameca exclaimed, getting to her feet. "Then you may talk more freely."

With that, she left. "A charming person," the Doctor said after her, "So intelligent and gentle."

"Doctor," Ian hissed; he sounded frantic. "There is to be a human sacrifice today at the ceremony for the rain god."

"What?" I cried, shoving myself off the wall. "What on earth for?"

"You heard what Barbara said, Terna; the Aztecs believed their gods demanded human blood in order to grant the people favors. Doctor," Ian turned to the Time Lord. "They want me to escort the prisoner to the temple and hold him down. Doctor, I can't do it."

"You must," the Doctor interjected. "Don't interfere."

"But-" Ian started, but the Doctor cut him off.

"There's no 'buts' about it! Human sacrifice is their tradition here, and if it's very important to them, we must let them get on with it. Promise me. Please, promise."

Ian didn't say a word, just slowly nodded. He looked like he was about to be sick.

I felt a twinge of sympathy for his situation.

"Good," the Doctor seemed to take the head shake as a promise. "Then I'll go and tell Barbara."

"Doctor!" I ran after him. "You can't honestly expect Ian to go through with this."

"We have no choice, Terna," he replied definitively.

"So, we're just going to sit here and let the primitives slaughter themselves like animals?" I protested, "As a man who favors humans, I would have thought you wouldn't want one to die."

"It's just one life, Terna," the Doctor snapped. "One human life, and in the course of existence that doesn't mean a whole lot. You of all people should know that."

I faltered slightly. "All the same, what of Ian?"

"I'm afraid the boy will have no choice but to go along with his assigned task," the Doctor replied gravely. "We must not challenge the Aztec religion; because, as far as they're concerned, we're a part of it, and I intend to keep it that way. Now come on," he beckoned me up the steps towards the temple entrance where Barbara and Susan were waiting.

I held back for a mere moment before hurrying up the steps after him.

()()()

Finding Barbara and Susan lounging around the throne room in apparent safety and contentment was at least a small spell of relief. Seeing her grandfather, Susan jumped to her feet and rushed over to him.

"Susan, I want you to stand outside and not let anyone in," the Doctor instructed her. She nodded mutely before stepping outside.

"What's happened?" Barbara demanded.

"There is to be a human sacrifice today at the rain ceremony," I explained.

Barbara paled. "Oh no."

"And you must not interfere," the Doctor added as the woman turned from him, blatant horror written all over her face. "Do you understand?"

"I can't just sit by and watch!" Barbara insisted.

"No, Barbara!" the Doctor cried. "Ian agrees with me; he has to escort the sacrifice to the altar."

Barbara's eyes widened. "He has to _what_?"

"Yes, they've made him a warrior," I explained.

"And he's promised me not to interfere," the Doctor added.

"Well, they've made me a goddess," Barbara declared. "And I forbid it."

"Hey, that's true," I chimed in, "As a deity, Barbara should have the power to annul any religious acts she disagrees with. Believe me, I've done it before."

"Barbara, you mustn't," the Doctor said to her.

However, the human woman ignored him as she strode over to the throne where her headdress was sitting and picked it up. "There will be no sacrifice today, Doctor, or ever again. The reincarnation of Yetaxa will prove to the people that you don't need to sacrifice a human being in order to make it rain."

"Barbara no," the Doctor whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"It's no good, Doctor," Barbara shook him off, "My mind's made up. This is the beginning of the end of the sun god."

"What are you talking about?" the Doctor snapped.

"Don't you see," Barbara's eyes were alight with the possibilities her newfound power had granted her. "If I could start the destruction of everything that is evil here, then everything that is good will survive when Cortez lands."

"But you can't rewrite history," the Doctor interjected. "Not one line!"

"Barbara," Susan suddenly rushed back into the room, "The High Priests are coming."

The human woman turned away from the Doctor. "Barbara, one last appeal: What you are trying to do is utterly impossible. Believe me, I know!"

My mouth parted slightly at the intensity in the Doctor's words. In that moment, it was like a layer to the Time Lord had fallen away, but there were still his eyes, those blue eyes that had something definitively off about them.

Barbara didn't respond to the Doctor's pleas; she didn't even look at him. "Not Barbara," she finally said, "Yetaxa."

With that, she marched out of the throne room to meet a group of guards waiting for her at the temple entrance; they flanked her on all sides and headed to the platform overlooking the city.

The Doctor, Susan, and I rushed outside to find Barbara, the two High Priests, and several warriors including Ian standing around the altar; it was no longer empty. A handsome man, naked aside for a loin cloth, was splayed across the large stone.

Barbara stared down at the man; her expression unreadable.

Ian and another warrior wearing a jaguar mask stepped forward.

"Don't look," the Doctor murmured to Susan, holding his hand over her eyes.

"Grandfather, what's happening," Susan cried, squirming slightly. "Why can't I see what's going on?"

"You mustn't look, child; you mustn't," the Doctor insisted.

Susan whimpered, and I felt my stomach twist into knots. I always hated watching death; as an immortal, I found it particularly grotesque.

Meanwhile, Autloc stepped up to the edge of the platform and looked down from the pyramid where a great crowd had gathered in the square. "A vision has come to us, my people. The High Priest Yetaxa has returned that you may look once more upon the sign of the coiled serpent." He turned to Barbara, "Great Spirit of Yetaxa, stand forth that we may honor you."

A chink appeared in Barbara's stone expression; she glanced at Ian, who gave her a nod of encouragement.

Barbara started forward; all of the warriors dropped to their knees as she passed, and she stepped up to the edge of the platform.

A chorus of roaring cheers rose up from the crowd below and echoed throughout the streets of the solitary kingdom. Barbara stared down at the people.

A drum roll sounded, and the crowd fell silent.

Slowly, Barbara turned from the platform edge and moved back over to the altar; I noted Tlotoxl watching her like a hawk.

The High Priest of Sacrifice then stepped up to the altar alongside Ian and the jaguar-masked warrior. "Take his arms," he instructed the latter, who obliged. "Take his legs," he added to Ian, who hesitated a mere fraction of a second before grasping on to the man's ankles.

Tlotoxl drew his knife. The Doctor grabbed by elbow with his free hand before I had a chance to even consider drawing my own weapon.

"Great Tlaloc, god of rain," Tlotoxl raised his arms above his head, "I Tlotoxl, High Priest of Sacrifice, call upon you to look with favor upon our land. Give us the water that is our life, and we will honor you with blood!"

I closed my eyes; I didn't want to see this.

"No!" Susan shrieked, wrenching herself from the Doctor's grasp and rushing forward at the same time that Barbara stepped up.

"Stop! I, Yetaxa, command you. There shall be no more blood spilt."

The man that was to be sacrificed jump up from the altar, "You have denied me honor!" he wailed.

Tlotoxl grabbed his arm, "Honor us then with your death," he whispered.

Without hesitation, the man rushed to the edge of the platform and jumped from the pyramid to the hard ground below.

"Oh my God," I clapped a hand to my mouth, my eyes swimming with a million emotions tangling themselves inside me, but I refused to let any of them show as Susan buried her face in my chest.

In the distance, thunder rumbled.

Tlotoxl grinned gleefully, "With death, came rain."

"_Without_ your sacrifice came rain," Barbara asserted.

Tlotoxl rounded on her. "Does Yetaxa speak with the voice of the gods or in protection of a handmaiden?"

"As a god," Barbara replied.

"Then let the handmaiden be punished," Tlotoxl announced, gesturing to Susan, "She cried out and desecrated sacred ground; she transgressed the law."

"She did not know it," Barbara asserted coldly.

"Then let knowledge be beaten into her," Tlotoxl snarled.

Susan whimpered as the Doctor pulled her into his chest, and I stepped in front of them both, hand clasped firmly around the Omni-Vice.

"No one should be punished for an offense made in ignorance," Barbara was fighting for calm.

"I demand that she be punished!" Tlotoxl cried.

_Like hell if I let that sadistic maniac anywhere near her, _I inwardly snarled.

Anger coursing through me, I started towards the priest, but the Doctor held me back. "Do not be a fool, Terna. Barbara has the power, not you."

I twisted in his grip, the sheer powerlessness of my situation burned like acid in my throat. I hated it; I hated it!

"The girl shall not be punished," Barbara announced definitively. She strolled over to us before Tlotoxl could argue further and took Susan's hand. "Let her instead be educated in your customs."

"I will take her to the seminary," Autloc offered.

"So be it, Autloc," Barbara replied.

"The Great Spirit of Yetaxa has spoken," Autloc exclaimed as thunder rumbled through the sky again.

"No! No, this is not Yetaxa!" Tlotoxl protested as Susan was led away. "This is a false goddess!"

"Come, Great Spirit of Yetaxa," the Doctor's voice sounded strained. "Let us return you to the temple. Terna, come on," he added to me.

I relented, although my grip never wavered on the Omni-Vice as I followed Barbara and the Doctor into the temple.

Once we were safely inside, the Doctor rounded on Barbara. "Well, young woman, I hope you are satisfied," he snapped bitterly. "A happy day for you!"

"Doctor, please," Barbara looked as though she was about to pass out.

"You wouldn't be advised," the Doctor continued. "Oh, dear me, no. You knew better."

"I couldn't just stand there and watch that man be sacrificed," Barbara cried.

"Do you think we felt any differently?" the Doctor demanded.

"No, of course not."

"Then why not leave well enough alone?" the Doctor cried. "Human sacrifice is their tradition, there's nothing we can do about it."

"She had to try though didn't she?" I interjected on Barbara's behalf. "You can't blame her for that."

"Are you saying that you agree with Barbara's actions?" the Doctor demanded of me.

"No, I just empathize," I shot back.

"Empathize!" the Doctor scoffed. "Thanks to Barbara's actions, Tlotoxl has lost faith in her, our lives are in danger, and Susan is locked up in some seminary."

"At least she'll be safe there," Barbara whispered.

"Safe?!" the Doctor exclaimed. "She was perfectly safe here until you started meddling."

"Doctor," Barbara finally had the nerve to turn around and face the furious Time Lord. "I wanted it to rain without that man being killed. I wanted them to see that his death was unnecessary."

"Don't you realize that he _wanted _to be offered to the gods?" the Doctor exclaimed. "It made him feel like one."

"I just didn't think about it!" Barbara cried.

"Oh, that's just it. You didn't think," the Doctor snarled.

"Doctor, that's enough," I interjected as tears began to brim in Barbara's eyes. The Doctor saw them too as the woman collapsed onto the throne.

"Go away," she whimpered. "Leave me alone."

The Doctor's expression softened somewhat. He walked over to Barbara and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, my dear. I didn't mean to be so hard on you."

"No. You had every right," Barbara replied, wiping her eyes.

"Here." I sat down next to her and offered her another of my handkerchiefs. She took it and lightly dabbed her eyes.

"Well, what's done is done," the Doctor declared, sitting down on the other side of Barbara. "And now it's up to you what happens next," he added to her.

"Me?"

"Yes, you'll have to hold Tlotoxl off," I explained.

"How can I?" Barbara asked. "He's lost faith in me; he thinks I'm a false goddess."

"Yes, but Autloc doesn't," I reminded her.

"Precisely," the Doctor agreed.

Barbara stared at us. "You want me to play them off against each other?"

"Yes, the more Tlotoxl doubts you, the most you must convince Autloc that you are Yetaxa," the Doctor insisted.

"And Tlotoxl won't dare defy Autloc," I added.

"Exactly," the Doctor agreed.

"Alright," Barbara relented, "But what about you two? And Ian?"

"Oh, Chesteron will be alright, and I think we shall know more about the entrance to the tomb later tonight," the Doctor explained. "We are going to meet someone who knows how the temple was built."

"Yeah and we got connected to him through the Doctor's lady friend," I grumbled.

Barbara laughs. "You old rogue!" she said to the Doctor.

"Enough about that," the Doctor waved his hand dismissively. "It really is up to you, Barbara," he added, putting an arm around her shoulders, "As long as you're here, we're perfectly safe-."

Tlotoxl suddenly entered the temple, causing the Doctor, Barbara, and me to all jump to our feet.  
"You enter unannounced," Barbara snapped at the High Priest.

"I proclaim myself only to my gods," Tlotoxl replied. "Let the old man and woman go down to the Garden," he added of the Doctor and me.

Barbara turned to us, "Enjoy the company of your new found friend."

"As Yetaxa commands," the Doctor replied as we both hurriedly bowed before leaving.

We exited the temple to be greeted by a light drizzle, the sky had darkened to a deep silver, and a thick sheet of rain was broiling up from the jungle. Thunder rumbled over our heads.

"Come on, Terna. We'll get soaked if we don't hurry," the Doctor called to me, throwing his waistcoat over himself to shield his head.

However, I did not follow right away, but rather held back, a sudden thought occurring to me.

"Come on, Terna. What's keeping you?" the Doctor demanded, glancing back at me.

I hesitated, standing there with the grey rain falling around me. "Back there, were you speaking from experience? Did you try to change history once?"

The Doctor gave me a surprised look before it momentarily softened. "As a novice, yes. All Time Lords consider the possibility at one point or another, but we are saddled with a heavy burden that comes with the power of time travel. We must see the universe for what it _is_, not for what we think it could become. The passing of time has its good as well as its evil, and the power of paradoxes is one of the first things we Time Lords learn."

I raised an eyebrow. "Paradoxes?"

"Yes, a paradox is when events contradict themselves, as attempts of changing history so often result in" the Doctor explained, "If a paradox were to occur, the universe could very well collapse." At this, he turned to face me fully, taking a step back over to me so that his coat provided a covering for both of us. "You've spent your life living outside of time, Terna; I don't expect you to understand these things, but please, do try."

I stared at him in surprise, before slowly nodding my head. He was right; I didn't understand, but things were different now, and I needed to try. "Ok," I said.

"Good," the Doctor nodded, "Now, come on. We'll catch cold in this." He then turned and slowly moved towards the steps, hanging back somewhat to allow me to remain under the cover of his coat, and we walked together in the rain back to the Garden of Peace.

()()()

By the time the Doctor and I had reached the Garden of Peace, the rains had stopped, although the sky was still overcast. However, the gloomy weather did not to sway the Aztec people's jubilant mood; they were overjoyed that the rains had fallen on their land again, believing it, of course, to have been caused by a sacrifice in blood.

I tried not to think about it as I sat under a tree, leaning against the trunk with my eyes closed and listened to the Doctor talk with Cameca on a nearby bench.

"What leaf is this?" the Doctor was asking her, fingering a branch he had taken from a nearby plant.

"It's from a herb; the medicine men use it to induce sleep," the Aztec woman explained. "The leaves are harmless."

"Yes, I think I've heard of it," the Doctor mused.

"You are a healer?" Cameca inquired.

"No, no, I am called the Doctor," the Time Lord asserted. "I am a scientist, an engineer, a builder of things."

"I see, and what of your pretty companion?" Cameca gestured over to me. I scowled through my closed eyes. I hated how she was talking about me like I wasn't even there.

"She comes from a land quite different from this," the Doctor explained. "Her world is full of many extraordinary things: clothing made of the stars and cities that stretched across many skies."

"Ah, now I understand your interest in the temple," Cameca exclaimed.

"Yes, there are one or two features inside the temple that intrigue me," the Doctor explained.

I rolled my eyes. _Just one really: as in, one giant, blue police box_.

"I have some knowledge of the temple," Cameca offered.

"Yes, for instance, the tomb is sealed, but the builder must have had some way of opening it?" the Doctor inquired.

"My knowledge is too limited for that, but the builder's son may know."

At this, I opened my eyes. "Yeah, about that, when can we meet him?"

"Be patient, Terna," the Doctor said to me. "Cameca already said that the builder's son was unable to meet with us for a few hours yet."

"Patient?" I exclaimed, jumping to my feet. "How can I be patient while we so urgently need to get into the tomb, now more than ever, and you sit here prattling on about leaves?"

At that, I turned and stalked off towards the Garden's gate.

"Where are you going?" the Doctor called after me.

"To check on Susan," I snapped back. "You know, something _useful_."

As I excited the Garden of Peace, I heard the Doctor say to Cameca, "You'll have to excuse her; she is used to getting her own way."

If I was any angrier, I could have blown steam out of my nostrils.

()()()

Seeing Susan sitting calm and safe within the seminary did provide me with a small spell of relief when I entered the stone enclosure to find the young Time Lady sitting in the corner, studying a pictogram book.  
Autloc was with her.

I made a move to speak, but Autloc raised a hand to silence me, and I begrudgingly relented.  
The Aztec priest turned to Susan, "You have studied the Code of the Good Housewife?"

"I have," Susan replied.

"I will hear it," Autloc declared.

"Tend well your nurseries and your flowerbeds. Um, keep clean your pot and stew pan…Do not spend recklessly; do not destroy or cheapen yourself…Um…uh," Susan faltered.

"You will never have…" Autloc offered.

"Oh, yes!" Susan exclaimed, "You will never have a house or home of your own if you live like that."

"She has learned diligently, Autloc," I mused from my spot in the doorway.

"Terna," Susan's face brightened when she saw me.

"What service may I grant a servant of Yetaxa?" Autloc inquired, bowing before me.

"Oh, nothing in particular," I replied, striding into the room. "I just wanted to see how Susan was getting on, and it seems swimmingly."

"She is a good student," Autloc agreed, "She uses her intelligence."

"Quite an extraordinary young lady," observed a voice from behind me. I whirled around in surprise to see a young Aztec Priest standing in the entrance.

"Ah," Autloc smiled at the young man warmly, "Susan, this is Tonila, one of the Priests of Knowledge."

Susan smiled, holding out her hand to Tonila as though intending to shake it.  
"No, no, no. You do not greet your elders in such a manner," Autloc chastised.

"No?" Susan seemed confused.

"No, you stand still, not looking around; you keep your eyes fixed on the person you are being introduced to, unless you are meeting your future husband for the first time, then you keep your eyes downcast."

"How will I know?" Susan asked.

"Know what?"

"That he is to be my future husband," Susan explained.

"You'll be told," Autloc replied.

"Told?" Susan was aghast. "I'm not going to be _told _who to marry."

"Susan," I started, but Autloc cut me off.

"What say have you in the matter?"

"With my life, I'll spend it with whom I choose, not someone picked out for me," Susan declared.

Autloc and Tonila both gapped at Susan; I stood there feeling my face flush with horror.

"Forgive her, Autloc," I quickly interjected to the High Priest, "She is young and inexperienced, a novice amongst the servants of the gods," I gripped Susan's arm pointedly. "Please, allow me to speak with her in private for a time, so that I may properly reprimand her."

"Terna, what are you talking about?" Susan demanded, attempting to shake me off, but I held firm.

"Very well," Autloc replied.

"Thanks," I quickly escorted Susan out of the seminary and into the damp Aztec sunlight.

"What was that for?" Susan demanded, finally managing to wriggle from my grip.

"Susan, you shouldn't speak so freely in front of these people," I warned her.

"And whyever not?" the young girl demanded. "Their customs are simply barbaric."

"Perhaps to us, but not to them, and they are the majority," I asserted, "Look, it's hard for all of us, Susan. You have no idea how hard I have to bite my tongue when I'm ordered around by these mongrels, but we must continue to play their games. You must heed to your grandfather's warning and respect their traditions at least until we can get back into the tomb."

"And when will that be?" Susan demanded.

I shook my head, "Soon, I hope. The Doctor and I are going to meet with the son of the man who designed the tomb. Hopefully, he can provide us with the information we need. But, in the meantime, Susan, please try to take what I said to heart. Alright?"

Susan sighed, "Alright, Terna. I just hope we can leave this place soon."

"You and me both."

()()()

I eventually returned to the Garden of Peace to find the Doctor intently observing one of the various plants; Cameca appeared to have left.  
He glanced up as I approached. "Is Susan alright?"

"For the moment," I replied, "Where did Cameca go?"

"She went to inquire after the son of the man who built the temple," the Doctor explained.

At that moment, a man approached us. He was draped in Aztec adornments and finery including armor made from the hide of a jaguar. His face was handsome, but crude, and there was a cold glint in his eyes.

"You are the servants of Yetaxa?" he inquired of us.

"Yes, we are," the Doctor replied.

"I am the son of the man who built the temple," the man declared.

"Really? Splendid! I believe we have some questions for you," I exclaimed, elbowing the Doctor as I spoke.

"Oh, yes. You see, I find the entrance of the temple to be a most interesting piece of work," the Doctor explained to the man.

"Few temples have an entrance like it," he agreed.

"An entrance that cannot be opened from the outside," I mused, "Tell me. How did the builders manage to get in and out of the structure when they were still constructing it? If the door continued to swing shut on them like that, they would have been locked inside their own structure."

"I'm afraid I do not know that," the man admitted.

"Oh, I see. He kept it a secret, didn't he?" the Doctor mused.

"He has drawn it though," the man added.

"Really?" the Doctor was delighted. "Well, I don't suppose it's at all possible that I might see these drawings?"

The man smiled, placing a hand over his chest, "Can a humble warrior refuse the request of the servants of Yetaxa?"

"So you can bring them to us?" I asked.

"Yes, I will return with them after sunset, if the god's are willing," the man replied.

"Alright, we'll be here," I said.

However, the man did not leave. He glanced around him as though fearing we were being observed before leaning closer to the Doctor and me. "Tonight, at sunset, I have to meet another warrior in combat."

"Oh, I hope not to the death," the Doctor exclaimed.

The man shook his head, "No, but defeat would mean disgrace. No man could look upon me or speak to me for many days."

"I see," the Doctor seemed thoughtful.

"My opponent has been selected," the man continued, "I know his name, and I fear defeat."

"What weapons are you to use?" I inquired.

"Only my hands," the man held them up helplessly, "But my strength lies in the use of a spear or a club!"

"Oh, how unfortunate," I mused.

"Indeed," the Doctor agreed. "Dear me, and I would have loved to have seen those drawings."

"No more than I desire victory," the man declared.

"Well, perhaps we can assist each other then?" I suggested.

"Ah, yes. A splendid idea, Terna," the Doctor agreed.

The man bowed deeply, "I thank the servants of Yetaxa."

"Excellent, wait here a moment," the Doctor instructed the man as he lead me a short ways away.

"What did you have in mind, Doctor?" I asked him.

The Time Lord didn't respond right away; he bent down and plucked a leaf off the plant he'd been examining earlier. As he held it aloft to me, I could see that the stem was covered in dozens of needle-like thorns.

"I believe a little horticulture will go a long way," he declared with a chuckle.

"Yes, I believe so," I added with a grin.

The Doctor than beckoned the man over and showed him the leaf.

"The thorn of a cactus will give me victory?" the man sounded unconvinced.

"The venom within the thorns has the ability to paralyze if it pierces skin," I explained to him.

"Yes, so make sure you don't scratch yourself," the Doctor added, passing the leaf over to the man.

"The servants of Yetaxa offer poison?"

"No. It won't kill; it will slowly drain away the strength of your opponent," the Doctor replied.

"Scratch here," I added, tapping my forearm.

The man smiled in understanding, "I thank you," he said before turning to leave.

"Oh, young man!" the Doctor called after him, "You won't forget the drawings?"

"I shall bring them here after sunset," the man reassured him.

"Marvelous," the Doctor exclaimed, clapping him on the shoulder. "We shall see you then."

With that, the man left.

The Doctor smiled at me. "What a stroke of good fortune."

"Yes," I agreed. "Perhaps our luck is starting to turn."

"We should inform Barbara of the good news," the Doctor continued. "By nightfall we may very well be free of this place."

"Good idea," I agreed.

As we exited the garden, I paused to lean against the entrance, feeling a wave of fatigue wash over me.

"Terna, are you alright?' the Doctor asked me.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm alright," I replied.

"Well, come on," the Doctor urged, taking my hand and leading me on, "We must make haste."

()()()

When we reached the temple, the throne room appeared empty.  
"Barbara? Barbara, where are you?" the Doctor called.

"Maybe she's in here," I said to him, walking over to the chamber off the throne room and brushing the curtains aside.

"Doctor, Terna, go away!" Barbara exclaimed upon our entering.

"What?" the Doctor asked.

"You're not allowed in here," Barbara insisted frantically.

"Why not? We're supposed to be your servants, aren't we?" I demanded.

"Didn't Tlolotxl tell you that while I am to be questioned, no one is permitted to see me?" Barbara asked.

"Of course not! Why would he if he aims to destroy us?" I exclaimed.

The Doctor touched my arm to silence me. "Alright, we'll go, but first we came here to tell you that we will know more about the entrance to the tomb tonight."

"Good." Barbara sounded relieved.

"Yeah, all we had to do was make certain some warrior won a fight," I added.

Barbara jumped to her feet, "What warrior?"

"Oh, he was…" I trailed off, "Doctor, I don't think we ever got his name," I added to the Time Lord.

"No, but he had a mask like a cat, a jaguar I think."

"But that's Ixta!" Barbara exclaimed, "And he's fighting Ian for the right to command the Aztec Army."

My heart skipped a beat, "Ian! Come on, Doctor, we have to warn him."

I grabbed the Doctor's hand, and we bolted out of the chamber. However, as we reentered the throne room, a voice called out from the shadows:  
"Hold them! They have transgressed the law!"

Tlotoxl stepped into view, followed by several Aztec soldiers.

The warriors pounced like a pack of jungle cats and grabbed hold of the Doctor and me.  
"Let go of me!" I cried trying to wrench my arms free.

"Do you wish to confine them?" one of the warriors asked Tlotoxl.

"Take them to the barracks," the High Priest replied.

"I demand we are released!" the Doctor cried, trying to break free. "Take your hands off me!"

"How dare you, you miserable little louts. Let me go, you _sine spina stupri canibus_!"

However, the soldiers did not relent as the Doctor and I were hauled off.

We were lead down the steps of the temple and back into the city. The air had turned grey as the sun was swallowed up into the dark shadow of the jungle. _Sunset, Ixta said he and Ian would do battle at sunset. We have to get away._

I suddenly let out a groan and dropped to the ground.  
"Terna!" the Doctor twisted in the warrior's grip upon seeing me collapse. The warrior holding me dropped down to try and hoist me to my feet.

However, as soon as he got close enough, I swung my arm out and knocked him hard in the side of the head. Before the two other warriors holding the Doctor could react, I kicked my leg out and send them both falling flat on their backs, knocking the Doctor off his feet as well in the process.

"Come on!" I said to him, hauling him back to his feet.

"You couldn't have done that a bit more gracefully?" the Doctor grumbled as we broke into a run, trying to get as far away from the dazed guards as possible.

"We have to find Ian and warn him about Ixta," I said to the Doctor.

"Yes, and we don't have much time," the Doctor agreed as we both glanced up at the steadily sinking sun.

We found the Warriors' Hall fairly easily. It was a large space with stone walls lined with weapons and a thatched roof. Several warriors were there as well as Tlotoxl and Tonila, the High Priest Susan and I had met at the seminary.

They were all crowded around the center of the room where Ixta was attempting to wrestle Ian to the ground. However, despite having less experience, Ian still seemed to be gaining the upper hand.

However, as he knocked Ixta to the ground again, the Aztec man jumped to his feet and lunged for him.

"Ian, look out!" I cried.

The human man glanced my way, and Ixta took advantage of the distraction; Ian cried out in pain as Ixta struck him with the poison thorn.

He staggered back and grabbed his wrist as blood dripped out from between his fingers.

"Ian!" I started forward, but the other Aztec warriors grabbed the Doctor and me, preventing us from helping the human.

"Let me go!" I struggled in their grips, "Ixta is going to kill him!" I cried.

Ian lunged forward and tried to throw a punch, but his movements were much slower than before; Ixta easily dodged them.

"Tlotoxl, you must stop this at once!" I demanded of the High Priest.

"And why should I?" Tlotoxl asked knowingly.

"Ixta is not fighting fairly," the Doctor exclaimed, "He is using the…magic we gave him."

"Then you should rejoice," Tlotoxl sneered, "Ixta will win."

Ian threw his arms around Ixta's neck, trying to wrestle him to the floor, but the Aztec man turned the tables, and Ian crashed into the dirt.

Ixta doesn't even give a dazed Ian time to recover as he lunged on top of him, coiling his hands around Ian's throat. He slammed his head several times into the hard ground before jumping up once more and standing over Ian. As Ian groaned in pain, the Aztec warrior placed his foot over his neck and slowly begins to press it into his throat.

I stood off to the side with the Doctor beside me, the guards holding us in place. I could feel the bitter helplessness of my situation coursing through me.

_Look at how pathetic you are: a queen at the mercy of barbarians who can't even save one man. _

I may not have known Ian very long, but he had risked his life to aid me in my fight against the Daleks, risking his safety to fix my mistakes. And he didn't begrudge me for it.  
Ian…sweet, loyal Ian.

Ian cried out in pain, his arms grabbing at Ixta's foot, trying to pry it from his windpipe.  
"Tlotoxl, stop this!" In my moment of desperation, I find myself begging.

"No. The fight shall be to the death," Tlotoxl announced.

"You go against your gods!" the Doctor exclaimed, "This fight was meant to incapacitate the opponent not kill them!"

At that moment, Ian managed to pull a burst of strength from the depths of himself, shoving Ixta's oppressive foot off him and the other man went flying across the room. Ian tried to get up, but stumbled heavily, his eyes going glassy as he collapsed against an altar in the corner of the room, seemingly dazed.

Ixta sensed that his opponent was weakening and rushed forward, wrapping his arms around Ian's waist and lifting him off the floor, planning to throw him to the ground.

Ian kicked his legs wildly and chopped Ixta in the hip, which was foul play, but it got Ixta to drop him long enough for Ian to somewhat regain his bearings and knock Ixta to the floor.

Ixta jumped back up, and the two men stood as they were, facing off against each other, each waiting for the other to attack first.

Ixta tried to throw a punch, but Ian caught the arm and twisted it around. Ixta groaned in pain as he struggled to break free of the other man's grip.

Ixta dropped to one knee and tried to use the leverage to push his arm forward into overpowering Ian's body. It began to work as Ian's arm was stretched over his head.

Ixta than heaved his whole weight onto Ian, and the other man toppled backward to collapse across the altar. Ixta then grabbed a club and held it above Ian's head before he could regain his bearings.

"Destroy him, Ixta!" Tlotoxl cheered.

"No, Tlotoxl, Yetaxa forbids it!" Autloc called from the doorway as he strode into the room.

"A false goddess forbids it!" Tlotoxl replied dismissively before turning back to Ixta, "Destroy him!"

There is a murderous gleam in his eyes; the fire of hundreds of years of bloodshed burning within his soul as he gleefully watched Ixta attempt to strangle Ian.

My hand goes for my sword, and it had almost transformed when Barbara suddenly entered.

"Stop!" her commanding voice echoed throughout the room.

Everyone froze, even Ixta and Ian.

"You're place is in the temple," Tlotoxl hissed as Barbara stalked over to him.

"I am loyal to those who serve me," she coolly replied.

Tlotoxl seemed unperturbed; in fact, he grinned a maniacal grin. "If you are Yetaxa then save him!"

Barbara glanced at Ian still struggling against Ixta across the altar. However, she did not go to him. She instead snatched a knife from the belt of one of the warriors holding the Doctor and held it to Tlotoxl's throat.

The High Priest went rigid in shock. "If my servant dies, so does Tlotoxl!" she declared.

Ixta stood with the club still raised above his head, looking from Tlotoxl to Barbara, unsure of what to do.

"Put it down," Barbara calmly ordered.

Begrudgingly, Ixta relented. However, Barbara did not lower her own weapon from Tlotoxl's throat.

"I did as you commanded," she said to the High Priest of Sacrifice, who did not seem entirely comfortable about the tables having turned with him having the blade to his neck for a change. "Now you will obey me," Barbara continued, "My servants shall not be punished."

"So be it," Tlotoxl whispered.

Slowly, Barbara lowered the knife from his throat. Ixta got to his feet, staring down at Ian lying spread eagle across the altar, the poison of the thorn having taken full effect, and he was now unconscious. I could still see the trace amounts of bloodlust lingering in the Aztec man's eyes.

"The contest has ended," Tonila declared, "Ixta may not claim the victory."

"Attend Yetaxa's sermon!" Autloc said to the guards holding the Doctor and me, "Take the old man and the woman to the garden and release them as per her orders."

The guards relented, and we were lead away.

"What about Ian?" I called, jerking back as I am dragged across the threshold. "See to it that he is taken care of! Yetaxa would wish it!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tlotoxl raise an eyebrow at me, but I ignore him.

"And indeed he shall be," Barbara agreed, "Make certain he is," she added to Autloc, who gestured to some of the other warriors to go aide Ian before swiftly following Barbara out of the room.

The Doctor and I were taken back to the Garden of Peace and left there by the warriors. Despite the beauty of the flowers and the solid walls around us, I felt no sense of comfort. I couldn't shake the image of Ian lying helpless on the stone with Ixta standing over him about to club him to death.

"Terna, are you alright?" the Doctor asked, jerking me from my thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Forgive me for saying so, but you look rather pale."

"I'm fine," I insisted, rubbing my eyes, "It's just all this tension is exhausting."

"Perhaps you should sit down," the Doctor offered, leading me over to a bench under a nearby tree.

Admittedly, the cool shadows the tree provided where a welcome comfort. My body felt sluggish and sleepy, like my blood sugar was suddenly rapidly dropping.

The Doctor checked my pulse. "Nothing too drastic, but perhaps you are merely weary due to your separation from the TARDIS. It has been a several hours."

"Maybe," I agreed. I didn't really have the energy to think about it, also my head hurt.

"You know what you need?" the Doctor suddenly declared. "Hot chocolate."

I glanced up at him. "Hot what?"

"Hot chocolate," the Doctor repeated. "A heated blend of milk, sugar, and cacao powder, it's the greatest invention since sliced bread."

"What's so great about bread being sliced?"

"Never mind that. But the Aztecs are famous for their hot chocolate," the Doctor proclaimed. "I think a hot drink will perk you right up."

I shrugged, "Whatever you say."

"Good. Wait here; I'll be right back."

I nodded sleepily as the Doctor hurried off into the steadily growing darkness. I closed my eyes and leaned back against the trunk of the tree.

I didn't even need to open my eyes to know that Tlotoxl was standing beside me; I could feel his slimy presence like a dark shadow on the horizon.

"What do you want, High Priest of Sacrifice?" I asked without opening my eyes.

"The Priest Tonila's knowledge of plants has served me well," Tlotoxl declared.

"I'm delighted," I replied bitterly.

"What manner of servant are you?" the High Priest inquired.

I opened my eyes, "Go away, Tlotoxl. Leave me in peace."

"I'm curious about you," Tlotoxl persisted, "You and the old man, you tried to give Ixta victory."

"Ixta deceived us," I asserted, "We did not know the man he was to fight was Ian."

Tlotoxl regarded me thoughtfully. "Yetaxa claims that you are her servant, and yet, in the warrior's chamber, you spoke with the voice of a queen."

I smiled in spite of myself. "You see a queen before you? Perhaps your eyes deceive you."

"I see a being that is used to power," Tlotoxl replied. "Perhaps that is why you are trying to usurp it from the god you serve? Tell me, do you and the old man conspire against Yetaxa?"

"I am loyal to my friends," I replied.

"Yet you deceive Yetaxa?"

"Not at all."

"You and the old man attempted to get into the tomb without her knowledge. What is it you want from there?"

I gave Tlotoxl a hard stare, "What is it you want from me?"

"I want but one thing: proof that she is a false goddess."

I laughed like _'Good luck with that'_.  
"If you want proof, then open the tomb."

"I cannot do that," Tlotoxl replied.

"Then talk to Ixta," I insisted, "He has some drawings."

Tlotoxl smiled in response, "Perhaps it is you that had been deceived: no such drawings exist."

"What?" I cried, almost jumping to my feet but then remembering myself, "And who told you this?"

"Ixta himself."

"That slimy bastard…" I snarled through gritted teeth. "Why would he do such a thing?"

"An inquiry of mine. I wanted to see if what I suspected was true, and you really are trapped outside the tomb," Tlotoxl replied.

"I should have known," I snarled.

Tlotoxl stared at me in surprise, "In who's service are you, woman?"

My face relaxed into a smile, "I serve the truth. Help me, Tlotoxl, and, I promise you, you will find it."

Tlotoxl regarded me with a look practically of disgust. "I seek no truth from a woman who has eyes that look everywhere. I take my leave of you now."

With that, he left.

()()()

I must have fallen asleep after that, because when I opened my eyes again the sun had almost risen. The Doctor had not returned, so I decided to head back to the seminary.

Susan was sitting alone with Autloc quizzing her on more aspects of the Aztec culture:  
"In the annals of Kohurticlan, there is the myth of the Five Suns in the Sky. Name them."

"The first was known as Four Tiger, the second the Son of Air, the third the Son of Fire and Rain, the fourth the Son of Water, and finally the present one, the Son of Man," Susan immediately recited.

"Excellent, Susan," Autloc commended.

I scoffed to myself. _What utter nonsense._

"Ah, you have returned," the High Priest addressed me.

"Terna!" Susan jumped to her feet and rushed over to me, "I heard there was a fight amongst the warriors last night, and that Ian was hurt. Is he alright?"

"He's fine, Susan," I assured her. "Ian will come to no harm as long as Yetaxa wills our protection."

"Your goddess seems to serve her servants as much as you serve her," Autloc observed.

I looked up at him with a forced smile, "That is why we are so loyal to her."

At that moment, Tonila entered. He was with another man, who looked to be no older than seventeen. Despite his youth, he was dressed in all manner of Aztec finery.

"I greet you, Autloc," Tonila said to his fellow priest.

"I honor you," Autloc replied, "But why do you come here?"

"I wished to look upon her," the other man replied, pushing me aside and stepping up to Susan, who shrank back in surprise.

Autloc raised an eyebrow. "Do you know who she is?"

"Does she know who I am?" the man replied.

"No," Autloc said.

"Tell her."

"In a few days' time, Susan, darkness will descend upon the land even though it is day," Autloc explained to the Time Lady, who was looking at the young Aztec man, bemused.

"The sun will be hidden from our eyes," Tonila added.

"You mean an eclipse?" I piped up.

"Yes, at that time a sacrifice will be made to the sun god," Autloc continued, "And this young man…"

"Is to be the victim," Susan whispered; her face not unlike that of a deer caught in the headlights. "That's horrible!"

"Susan-" I started, but the Sacrifice cut me off.

"It is a great honor, Susan," he insisted. However, the young Time Lady did not respond. Unperturbed, the Sacrifice turned to Tonila, "I shall take her as my bride."

"Bride!" Susan cried. "He thinks I'll marry him!"

"He's mad," I added under my breath.

"In his last few days of life, all that he desires is granted to him," Tonila explained.

"Well, that doesn't include me," Susan declared. "Let him die if he wants to, but don't make me marry him."

"It is Aztec law, Susan," Autloc insisted.

"It's barbaric," Susan cried. "I won't do it. I won't!"

"For this you will be most severely punished," Tonila declared.

"But Tonila-" Autloc protested.

"She has broken the law," Tonila cut him off. "She must be reported to Tlotoxl."

"You meant to do this on purpose!" I blurted, feeling anger flare up inside me. "You bastard, you're scheming with Tlotoxl, aren't you?"

"You're monsters! All of you monsters!" Susan wailed, dropping to the floor and covering her face, "Grandfather. Grandfather!"

"Susan," I rushed over to the girl and placed my hand on her shoulder. I turned to Tonila.

"Susan may have transgressed your laws, but it is you who has transgressed the gods," I declared of him. "Which do you believe is the greater offense?"

"Yetaxa will not permit this?" Autloc exclaimed.

"Yetaxa wishes for her handmaidens to remain unmarried," I replied.

Tonila arched an eyebrow. "You would deny the will of the Perfect Sacrifice? The chosen one of the gods?"

"Yetaxa would," I replied, "She has already denounced a Sacrifice once, hasn't she?"

"You're words are bold, woman," Tonila snapped, "And not at all the tongue of a servant!"

"I speak now with the voice of Yetaxa, your god," I replied, my grip tightening on Susan's shoulder, "Susan is not to marry that man."

"This insolence, the girl shall punished for your transgressions, wench!" Tonila cried before turning and stalking out of the seminary with the Sacrifice close behind.

Autloc turned to Susan and I. "I will do what I can."

"You people," Susan whispered, "You're all just horrible."

She buried her face in her hands and cried. I sighed, dropping to my knees beside her and placing a comforting arm around her shoulders. "It'll be alright, Susan," I whispered

_Damn it, _I seethed to myself_. I had been trying to help, and I'd only succeeded in making things worse._

()()()

Eventually, I was forced to return to the Garden of Peace. However, upon reaching the serene little jungle, I couldn't catch a glimpse of the Doctor anywhere.

"Doctor?" I called, wandering through the shrub. "Doctor, where are you? As if things weren't bad enough, we've got another problem."

I gritted my teeth at the thought. Not only had Susan been tricked into being made an example of for Barbara by Tonila and Tlotoxl, but I was now dragged into it because I couldn't keep my stupid mouth shut.

"Doctor, for God's sake, where are you?" I demanded in frustration.

"Terna!" The urgency in the Doctor's voice made me turn around in alarm to see him rushing towards me. "Terna, there you are. I've been looking for you everywhere."

"If it's about the hot chocolate, I'm sorry," I explained. "I got a little sidetracked. Listen, I just went to visit Susan, and I may have-"

"Oh, there's no time for that now," the Doctor insisted dismissively, before suddenly taking my hands and clasping them firmly between his. "There's a matter of much more importance that needs to be taken care of."

I stared at him, alarmed at his apparent panic. "Doctor, what are you-?"

"Terna, please; for once, don't say a word. I just need you to trust me," the Doctor pleaded. "Just understand that this means nothing, alright? It means nothing!"

"What's wrong with you?" I demanded. "Have you lost your-?"

The rest of my sentence was lost because, at that moment, the Doctor hurriedly pressed his lips to mine. It was by no means a good kiss, it was rushed and sloppy and not in the least bit pleasant. I froze on the spot, too stunned to speak or even push him away.

The Doctor eventually broke the kiss, and I gaped at him, dumbfounded. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could I heard something between a gasp and a whimper from behind me.

Whirling around, I saw Cameca standing behind me, two half-drunk mugs of hot chocolate in her hands; she looked absolutely crushed.

"Doctor, what is this?" she whispered. "I do not understand."

"I deeply apologize, Cameca," the Doctor insisted. "I am afraid that my time amongst the gods has made me less than weary of your people's customs. I did not know that here making and drinking hot chocolate together is considered an act of engagement. I did so with you, not as a romantic affair, but as one with a friend. A proposal was never my intention. After all," he quickly wrapped his arm around my waist and tugged me closer to him. "Terna is my wife."

"I'm your what-!" I started, but the Doctor elbowed me hard in the stomach, choking me into silence.

Cameca wilted. "Oh, I see," she whispered. "Forgive me. I was far too bold," she averted her eyes. She looked absolutely devastated, and I felt almost sorry for her. Almost.  
"Well, I suppose I shall leave you in peace," she added, slowly turning away from us and quickly making her way up the garden path, vanishing into the dense foliage.

As soon as she was out of ear shot, I whirled on the Doctor. "What the hell was that?"

"It meant nothing, Terna, you must believe me when I say it meant nothing," he exclaimed.

"That wasn't what I meant," I snapped, "You can't just use me to cover up your own romantic blunders! She was obviously into you, and you were just too thick to see it, and now you've gone and broken her heart!"

The Doctor arched an eyebrow. "I didn't think you cared about Cameca's feelings."

"I don't." I replied. "However," I took a step closer to him, and he instinctively shrunk back, "If you ever use me like that again, so help me I will _skin _you alive, Time Lord."

The Doctor nodded slowly, licking his dry lips.

I sighed, turning from him and running my fingers through my tangled blonde hair. "Well, after all that, you better have my hot chocolate."

"Uh, yes, here," the Doctor handed me his mug.

I snatched it from him and took a hefty swig. Immediately, my tongue erupted into flames as the scorching liquid tumbled down my throat. I choked and spat the muddy liquid on the ground between us. "That's disgusting," I snapped before turning on my heel and stalking off.

The Doctor stared down at his feet. "I guess I forgot to mention the Aztecs make hot chocolate with chili peppers instead of sugar."

I was utterly fuming as I trudged through the tangled foliage of the Garden, my destination unknown. I couldn't believe the Doctor would use me like that instead of just being honest with Cameca and telling her he'd made a mistake!

_Honestly, sometimes that Time Lord makes me so angry I could just_-Smack! I staggered back, gripping my nose. In the haze of my fury, I hadn't looked where I was going, and had walked right into a tree.

"Ow, damn it all," I groaned, massaging my sore nose. As the stars started to clear up from my vision, I could faintly hear the sound of what appeared to be someone crying.

Cautiously, I peered around the tree I'd just walked into to see Cameca sitting on a bench surrounded by bright orange flowers. Tears were streaming down her face as she cradled what looked like some kind of medallion in her hands.

I sighed. _Why me?_

"Are you alright?" I called, stepping into view.

Cameca glanced up, quickly wiping her eyes. "Oh. It's you."

"I'm sorry about my…husband. He can be a real idiot sometimes."

Cameca smiled, shaking her head. "Perhaps, but I think he's wonderful."

I regarded her thoughtfully. "How so?"

Cameca looked at me, surprised. "Why you must know!" she exclaimed. "I mean he is so intelligent and clever, a deep thinker, a great conversationalist and so charming."

"I guess," I leaned against the tree, mulling the idea over. "I mean. I suppose you're right."

"You're good for him," Cameca suddenly declared, causing me to jerk her way in surprise. "You keep him grounded. Otherwise, I fear he might float away in that old head of his."

I laughed at this, "You're right about that."

Cameca smiled, glancing back down at the medallion in her hand. I did too.

"If you don't mind my asking, what is that?"

"Oh this is nothing important," the Aztec woman replied dismissively, "It was a gift I had planned to give the Doctor to signify my love for him. It came from Yetaxa's tomb."

I arched an eyebrow. "From where?"

"The tomb. See? It has Yetaxa's sign on it," Cameca held up the medallion so that I could see the intricate symbol carved in the center.

"Where did you get it?" I asked.

"Ixta's father. He was in love with me, and he gave this to me the night he disappeared."

"In this garden?"

"Yes, he was never seen again," Cameca replied, her eyes misted, "But all that was a long time ago."

I nodded. "I see."

"Here." I glanced up in surprise to see Cameca get to her feet and gently press the medallion into my hand. "I may not be able to give this to my love, but I still believe he should have it. The tomb has always interested him so. May it be a sign for the man we both love to carry always."

"Uh, right," I replied, closing my hand around the medallion. I didn't really want the thing, but I simply couldn't refuse Cameca's earnest expression and her lack of embitterment towards me for supposedly 'stealing her man'.

"Well, uh, nice talking with you," I finally added. "But I should be getting back to the Doctor."

"May the gods smile upon you both," Cameca replied.

"Thanks," I answered as I turned and hurried back through the brush.

When I returned to the clearing by the temple, I found the Doctor keenly observing what looked like an elaborate stone carving on the wall.

"What are you doing, _dear_?" I asked with bitter sarcasm.

The Doctor turned to scowl at me over his shoulder before replying, "Simply examining this rather curious sign carved into the temple wall."

"That's Yetaxa's sign," I observed.

The Doctor whirled on me, "How do you know that?"

I held up the medallion Cameca had given me, "Cameca said this belonged to the man that built the tomb, and that the symbol on it is the sign of Yetaxa."

The Doctor took the medallion from me and held it up next to the carving to confirm that they were indeed identical. "It's strange," he mused.

"What is?" I asked.

"Haven't you noticed, Terna?" the Doctor asked, "This tile is made to be distinctly different from the others," he gestured to it, and I saw that this was indeed true. "It conflicts so greatly with the rest of the temple wall's design that it could not be purely accidental."

"But why would someone want to do something like that?" I asked.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at me, "Perhaps to mask a potential secret entrance?"

I glanced at the medallion still in his hand, "Cameca said that thing came from within the tomb, so there _has_ to be some way of getting in."

"Indeed," the Doctor ran his hand along the tile's smooth surface, "And I'd say this is a pretty safe bet."

()()()

"That came out of the tomb," the Doctor explained to Ian as the human man turned the medallion through his fingers, "And the man who discovered it later disappeared in the garden. And on the wall is a stone with Yetaxa's sign on it."

"And we think that stone might be a cover for a tunnel that leads into the tomb." I added.

We were currently sitting in the thankfully deserted Warriors' Hall which Ian apparently couldn't venture far from and therefore we had to risk leaving the Garden to take the information to him.

"Well, that sounds like a pretty sound theory," Ian mused, tossing the medallion between his fingers, "And Lord knows we'd all like it to be true. Where did you get this?" he added to the Doctor.

"My fiancé," the Doctor calmly replied.

"I see." Ian jerked his head back up, realizing what the Doctor had just said, "You're _what_?!"

"Yes, I made some coco and got engaged," the Doctor replied simply.

"Apparently the Doctor doesn't understand Aztec culture as well as Barbara does," I added gruffly. I was still rather put out about the kiss.

"Oh, don't giggle, my boy," the Doctor added to Ian, who had burst out laughing, "It's neither here nor there," he added getting to his feet, "The important thing is that we find that tunnel tonight."

"I agree," I added.

"Yes, alright," Ian replied, still chuckling.

"Now, we'll wait for you in the garden, and when Ixta's asleep, you come out," the Doctor instructed him.

"Yes, I will," Ian replied as I got to my feet as well, and the Doctor and I turned to leave, "Oh, and Doctor, congratulations!" he called after the Time Lord, who murmured a not particularly nice phrase in his own language under his breath as we exited the Warrior's Hall.

()()()

"Lower, Terna, lower…Now, a little to the left…No, my left!"

"Doctor, we're facing the same way," I snapped through gritted teeth, "I think you're just using this as an excuse to order me around," I added, jerking the Omni-Vice that I'd fashioned into a crowbar in an attempt to pry open the tile.  
"And besides," I added, straining slightly, "I don't see you doing anything to help."

"Terna, hush," the Doctor suddenly cried.

"Don't you 'hush' me; you're the one shouting at me."

"Shh! Get down!" the Doctor insisted, grabbing my arm and pulling me into the dense brush. We crouched in the welcome darkness of the lightless jungle night, waiting for whatever it was that had spooked the Doctor to show itself.

I was tempted to refashion the Omni-Vice into my sword, but I feared the resulting light might give us away.

"Doctor? Terna? Where are you?"

Hearing Ian's voice, we both sighed with relief as the Doctor and I quickly ducked out of hiding.

"Ian, give us a hand. We can't move that an inch," the Doctor exclaimed, gesturing to the large tile.

"Let me try," Ian offered.

I held out the Omni-Vice to him, "Here. Have a crowbar."

Ian took it and jumped up on the edge of the temple wall so as to be even with the tile. He wedged the tool in the gap between the tile and the rest of the wall. He then yanked with all his might.

The Doctor and I watched, holding our breath. "It…It does move," Ian gasped with relief as the tile began to give. I quickly rushed to help him slide the heavy stone out of the way to reveal a dank, black hole in the temple wall.

The Doctor glanced hurriedly over his shoulder to ensure we weren't being observed before leaning forward to peer into the hole.

"There is a tunnel!" Ian exclaimed.

"I'll go. Terna, Chesteron, you stand guard," the Doctor declared, making a move to climb into the tunnel.

"No, I'll go, Doctor," Ian replied, "It's too dangerous."

"I'll come with you," I declared. "I'll watch your back," I added when Ian started to protest. "Also, you might need this," I added, transforming the Omni-Vice into a torch.

"Oh, alright," the Doctor relented as Ian slowly climbed into the hole, and I crawled in after him. "Be careful!" I heard him add.

I turned to give him a reassuring smile before I was swallowed by the darkness. Ahead of me, I could faintly make out the grey outline of Ian crawling along ahead of me. Quickly, I flicked on the torch and partially illuminated the tunnel.

It was a cramped, low-hanging space that one had to move through on their hands and knees, which was to be expected. The tunnel was dingy, slightly drafty, and oddly damp as though Ian and I were crawling through a natural cave system rather than a manmade construction.

Ian stopped suddenly, causing me to nearly crash into him. "Sorry, Terna," he called back to me. "Here. Give me the torch." I obliged, passing the Omni-Vice to him.

Ian shined the light up into the ceiling to reveal a cleft had been taken from the polished rock, and a ramp stretched upwards into still more darkness. "Is that the way out?" I whispered.

"Doubtful," Ian replied, "It's too steep for a person to climb."

"What's it for then?" I demanded.

"I don't know."

Suddenly, I heard a noise that made my heart stand still in my chest: a faint trickling steadily increasing in volume from up beyond the cleft. I look up again only to see a torrent of freezing water begin to spill over the edge and into the tunnel.

"Ian, we have to go back!" I cried, just as the water began to pool around our knees.

"Right, turn around," Ian called to me, tossing me the Omni-Vice. I turned it back to its true form as I did an awkward about face on all fours.

I could see the entrance to the tunnel, but it was nothing but a dim grey speck several yards back. The water rose up past my wrists as Ian, and I began scrambling towards the entrance.

We hadn't gone two yards when there was the sudden sound of heavy stone scraping against heavy stone; it echoed around the tunnel just before the entrance was eclipsed by a dense black shadow.

The stone had been replaced.

"Doctor!" Ian called from behind me, "Doctor, what are you doing? We're still in here! Doctor!"

"It's no good; he can't here you," I said grimly as the water flowed practically up to my elbows.

"But why did he replace the stone?"

"He didn't; someone else did." I glanced at him over my shoulder, "Are you certain you weren't followed?"

"Yes, I…" Ian faltered, "Ixta."

"I should have known," I growled through gritted teeth before scrambling back around to face the other way, "Come on, this tunnel's gotta let out somewhere."

Ian nodded solemnly, "Hopefully we can get there before this tunnel fills up."

It was a mad dash through complete darkness as Ian and I scrambled furiously through the tunnel. Our clothes were sopping wet up to our hips and shoulders and at points we were swimming more than crawling. That water was freezing cold, and the whole tunnel stank of mildew and mold as we waded through.

My heart pounded in my chest as the water continued to rise higher, sloshing against my body as though relentlessly teasing me.

The sound of the water ringing in my ears, I didn't even notice Ian stop dead until I'd nearly smashed into him.

"What are you doing? Keep moving!" I cried as water slipped up into my open mouth, and I coughed roughly.

"There's nowhere else to go," Ian called back.

"What? There's gotta be some way out. This tunnel can't just be a dead end!"

"Hang on. Gimme the torch again." I quickly reshaped the Omni-Vice and tossed it to Ian.

The human man frantically shined the light all along the walls of the tunnel, but there didn't seem to be any way out in sight. Then he shown the light at the ceiling and relief bloomed in my chest when it fell on the underside of a trap door.

Quickly, Ian passed the torch back to me and rose to a crouch; gripping the stone, he tugged on the slab of rock with all his might. Gritting his teeth with exertion, Ian pulled and pulled until it finally gave way.

"Hurry. Go. Go!" I exclaimed frantically, the water reaching up past my neck.

Ian heaved his body up over the edge of the trap door, scrambling frantically out of sight. I rose up and grasped the edge of the hole in the ceiling; my dress was soaked through to the skin; the feathers on the collar stuck to my neck and the material felt as heavy as lead on my body.

Ian reappeared over the rim of the trapdoor and held out his arms to me; grasping my wrists, he pulled me up out of the tunnel just as the water burbled up after us; it most likely would have consumed us fully had we remained in the tunnel any longer.

Ian let me go, and I fell to the floor gasping, my sopping hair falling in my face.  
"Where are we?" I whispered.

A horrid smell filled our noses, worse than the damp moldy scent of the tunnel.

"Ugh, what is that?" Ian hissed, wrinkling his nose.

I sneezed, "I think I know," I replied straightening up; I turned around to see the faint outline of the altar with the real Priest Yetaxa's shriveled corpse sprawled across it.

I suppressed a gag: mummifying, what an absolutely disgusting practice. "We're in the tomb," I added to Ian as he got to his feet behind me.

"Really!" Ian exclaimed, whirling around. I glanced upward and saw the familiar image of the TARDIS nestled in the corner. I felt a jolt of relief at the sight of it.

Ian turned to grin at me before rushing over to the door and running his hands across it.

"What are you doing?" I asked, shining the Omni-Vice torch light around the dismal space.

"Looking for some way to hold this door open, so it won't close on us again," Ian replied.

I trailed the beam along the edge of the door, pausing towards the top when I spotted something: a few inches above the door there was a large hook. "Ian, look."

Ian glanced up and his eyes widened; quickly he scrambled over to the altar and began picking through Yetaxa's garments. He eventually came back over to me with a few pieces of taut leather.

I watched as Ian looped the leather around the hook and tied it in place. "Terna, come help me," Ian called to me.

I obliged, and we both pushed against the door. It slowly rose up, and Ian and I staggered into the room, me stumbling on my soaked sandals, the folds of my drenched skirt clenched in my fists. I found myself in Barbara's empty throne room; the back wall of the tomb seemed to open there. Ian trailed along behind me with the leather rope still in his hand.

He began to slowly lower the door, keeping the rope tightly clenched in hand, so that when the door closed the end of the rope remained on the outside, poking out from under the door.

"Terna? Ian!" I turned around in time to see Barbara rush up to us, dressed in a simple Aztec night shift. "What are you doing here?"

"Barbara, there's a tunnel all the way from the garden to the tomb," Ian hurriedly explained to her.

"What?" Barbara's eye widened.

"Yeah, we just came up it," I explained.

Ian and I then quickly explained to Barbara about how we'd discovered the tunnel and had a narrow escape as it had flooded with water.

Barbara smiled with relief the entire time we talked. "We'll be able to get out of here," Ian concluded, "We'll be able to escape!"

"Someone's coming," I suddenly cried at the sound of footsteps.

"Come on," Ian grabbed my wrist, and we both ducked behind the throne.

Barbara faced the door just as the Doctor rushed in to the temple. "Barbara, I just don't know how to tell you," he exclaimed, looking absolutely panicked, "Ian…and Terna, they…There was nothing I could do."

Ian poked his head out from behind the throne, "We're alright, Doctor."

The Doctor's eye widened before his face broke into a relieved grin, "My dear boy," he exclaimed, shaking Ian's hand and then pulling me into a hug, "I thought you were drowned."

"We nearly were," I replied with a nervous laugh.

"Who put that stone back?" Ian then asked.

"Ixta," the Doctor replied.

"Oh, so he did follow me," Ian mused.

"Never mind that now," the Doctor replied dismissively, "How does that door work?"

"Don't worry, Ian's got it licked," I told him.

"Yeah, we just need to get Susan up here," Ian agreed.

"But we can't," Barbara piped up. "She refused to marry the victim of the next sacrifice, so she is to be punished."

I winced; I'd completely forgotten about that.

"Is she still in that seminary?" the Doctor asked her.

"I think so, but she'll be heavily guarded."

"It's my fault," I whispered, "I was there when she refused him, I should have told her to be quiet, but I just made things worse."

"Never mind, Terna, what's done is done," the Doctor insisted.

"Don't worry, I'll get her out," Ian declared, "You two stay here with Barbara," he added to the Doctor and me.

"No, I'll come with you," I asserted, "I feel responsible and I want to make amends. Besides," I held the Omni-Vice aloft, "I'm good with a sword."

"Alright," Ian relented. "Come on."

"Watch out for that man Ixta," the Doctor called after us as we exited the temple.

"Don't worry, we will," the human man called back.

Susan was not at the seminary, which caused Ian and I to briefly panic, but when we noticed the large amount of guards gathering at the Warriors' Hall, we deduced that Susan must have been taken there.

Our prediction proved correct when we crept into the Hall, concealed by the early morning shadows. We found Ixta talking with Tlotoxl in the training room. Susan stood in the corner surrounded by warriors.  
"The chosen warrior has done well," Tlotoxl declared, "With Ian and the old woman dead they are at completely at our mercy. The rewards I promised you shall be yours."

"Thank you," Ixta replied with a smug grin I'd love to smack from his face.

"Now, my task for you is this," Tlotoxl gestured to Susan, "Guard the handmaiden. Do not let her escape nor release her to Autloc. His faith in our gods is wavering."

Ixta nodded obediently, crossing his fist over his chest.

"Why have I been brought here?" Susan demanded, "Does Autloc know I'm here? What of Yetaxa? I'm her handmaiden. She wished to see me."

"Oh, she will see you," Tlotoxl replied with a sneer, "At the appointed time."

Ixta gestured to the altar in the middle of the room, "Rest there," he said to Susan.

One of the guards forced Susan to the center of the room, and she sat down on the altar.

"I thank you," Tlotoxl said to Ixta, before leaving the room with the guards close behind.

"Now, let's get her," I say, starting forward, but Ian holds me back.

"Not yet."

Ixta moves over to Susan and sits down beside her, "Do you ask yourself where Ian is?"  
Susan doesn't reply. "I can tell you, he is dead."

Susan gasped, "I-I don't believe you," she stammered.

"The old man saw Ian die; he knows it to be true. He and the old woman drowned in the tunnel that leads to the temple."

I scowled. _Old? I hardly looked older than forty five now._

Ian tapped me on the shoulder, jerking me from my thoughts.

He pressed a finger to his lips before slowly moving in to the room, hugging the wall so as not to be spotted in Ixta's peripheral vision. I follow close behind.

"Now seven warriors have challenged my right to command, and only I survive," Ixta continued.

Ian and I were directly behind them now, moving as silently as ghosts.  
"Good commanders don't jump to conclusions, Ixta," Ian called to him.

The Aztec man whirled around, and I clonked him on the head with the hilt of my sword before he had time to react.

"Ian! Terna!" Susan exclaimed, leaping to her feet and rushing over to hug me around the middle. "You're alive," she continued, releasing me and hugging Ian, "He said you were dead."

"We nearly were," Ian exclaimed with a laugh. "Now, come on."

"Where are we going?" Susan asked.

I grinned, "The TARDIS."

()()()

When we returned to the temple we found the Doctor and Barbara arguing over the leather rope that Ian had tied down to the end of Barbara's throne.  
"This isn't going to be easy, you know," the Doctor was saying.

"Well, if we all pull…" Barbara started.

"Yes, we can pull, but I think we'd better do it at an angle. What we really need is a pulley," the Doctor mused."

"A pulley? But the Aztecs don't have the wheel."

"I know. I did say it isn't going to be easy!"

"Grandfather!" Susan rushed up to the Doctor with Ian and me close behind.

"My dear Susan. I'll tell you how glad I am to see you later on," the Doctor exclaimed as he quickly hugged her before turning back to the rope, "Come along. Don't waste time."

He then untied the rope from the throne with Barbara and Ian grabbing hold of it as well.

"All right. Susan, as soon as the door opens, grab it," Ian said to her, "Terna, you help her."

"All right."

"Now, this is not going to be as easy as you think, young man," the Doctor asserted.

Oh? Well let's give it a try, anyway," Ian replied.

"Yes, well, be careful," the Doctor warned.

Ian nodded. "Ready, steady. Pull,"

He, Barbara, and the Doctor all tugged on the rope in unison while Susan and I waited for the door to lift up. It didn't budge.

Cord's old. It might break," the Doctor observed, "No, no, wait. Let's do it at an angle. Come along." He instructed Ian and Barbara to drape the rope over the top of the throne and pull from the other side of it.

"Do you want me to help?" I called.

"No, no, save your strength," the Doctor asserted.

"Ready?" Ian asked.

"Yes," the Doctor replied.

"Pull!" They did, but it still didn't move.

"Harder!" the Doctor cried.

Ian and Barbara both obliged when suddenly _snap!_

Susan gasped as the rope snapped clean in two and clattered to the floor in two useless tatters.

"What do we do know?" Barbara asked.

"Terna, maybe you could make a rope?" Susan offered.

I glanced down at the Omni-Vice, "Maybe."

I closed my eyes and feathered out my mental feelers in search of my power, but it was weakened in this place, the pores of this time were clogged thick with blood. I furrowed my brow in concentration and I could feel a rope slowly begin to unravel in my fingers, but it suddenly fizzled out, and the magnifying glass clattered to the floor.

I opened my eye with a gasp.

"What happened?" Barbara asked.

"She's been away from the TARDIS for too long," the Doctor mused.

"Damn it!" I exclaimed, snatching up the Omni-Vice and hurling it against the wall. "I hate being weak!"

"Well, whining about it isn't going to do you any good," the Doctor exclaimed.

I scowled at him, crossing my arms as I collapsed onto the throne with a huff. The chair was terrible uncomfortable.

"What next?" Susan asked.

"I'll have to try that stone in the garden again," Ian stated.

"I think you're right," the Doctor agreed.

"I'll come with you," I declared, "You'll need someone to watch your back."

"I'll come too," Susan added.

"No, I think Susan should stay here," Barbara asserted.

"No, I want to help," Susan insisted, "All I've been doing this entire time is sitting in that seminary doing nothing! We're all at risk here so let me help."

Barbara sighed, looking at the Doctor. He turned to his granddaughter.

"You be careful, child."

"Of course."

"Alright, we'll crawl up the tunnel in the garden and let you all through from the other side," Ian announced.

"And hopefully we won't all drown on the way up," I added as we exited the temple.

The Garden of Peace was oddly deserted when we arrived. Ian, Susan, and I crouched between the ferns. Ian paused, glancing around.

"Get yourself down behind that bush," he instructed Susan.

"Right. I'll whistle if anyone comes," the young Time Lady replies.

"All right. Terna, watch my back."

"Okay."

Ian and I quietly slipped out into the open. Ian went up to the stone while I stood at his side, eyes peeled for someone approaching.

However, before Ian could remove the stone, Susan suddenly cried out, "Ian! Terna! Look!"

Ian and I whirled around to see Susan crouched beside a figure lying just off the path. It was Autloc.

Abandoning the stone, we both rushed over and knelt beside the High Priest.

"Is he dead?" Susan asked.

Ian placed a hand on his neck, checking for a pulse. "No." he finally said.

Suddenly, Autloc's eyes fluttered open, and he groaned in pain.

"That's a nasty bump to the head," I mused.

"What could have done it?" Susan asked.

"Maybe this," Ian held up a flat Aztec blade. He stared at it in shock, "But this is mine!" he exclaimed, "This is a trap. Ixta gave this to me. Come on, let's get out of here."

He tugged Susan and me to our feet as we prepared to run, but we weren't fast enough.

"Hold him!" The Aztec guards swarmed all around us, lead of course by Ixta.

"This belongs to you?" the Captain asked of the sword in Ian's hand.

"Yes, I gave it to him," Ixta replied, before bending down and helping a dazed Autloc to his feet. "Ian was helping the handmaiden to escape. He struck you down from behind," he said to him.

"How do you know he was hit from behind?" Ian demanded.

"Because you were the one to do it, weren't you, you slimy little worm!" I spat. "You're trying to set us up."

Ixta ignored me, "That club belongs to Ian. Take them away."

"Let go of me," I exclaimed as the guards tried to hold me, "I will not be subjugated again!"

I then kneed the guard holding me in the crotch as hard as I could. His grip slackened as he buckled over, and I was able to break free.

"Guards, stop her!" I hear Ixta cry as I bolted into the trees.

From behind me, I hear Autloc call, "You are the servants of a false goddess."

I tore through the tangled foliage, stumbling through shrubs and tripping over roots. All the while, I could hear the guards crashing through the underbrush in hot pursuit.

I tripped over a rock and fell on my face in the dirt. My heart pounding in my skull, I scrambled to my feet and quickly ducked behind a tree. I could hear the guards approaching as I shrank into the shadows.

As the guards came to the tree, I held my breath and clapped my hands over my eyes, not blinking through my fingers. I heard the guards pause but a moment, before they raced past me and continued down the path.

I gasped with relief, slowly lowering my hands. That was an ancient trick, and I'd always been rubbish at it. Maybe there was a little Weeping Angel in me after all.

Of course, now what was I supposed to do? I was trapped in a garden surrounded by guards while Susan and Ian were being hauled off to God knows where. I needed to find some way out of this garden to warn the Doctor and Barbara of Autloc's loss of faith.

A hand suddenly clapped on my shoulder. I screamed and my own hand dove for the Omni-Vice even though I knew I wouldn't be able to wield it now.

"Be calm. It is only I," Cameca exclaimed.

I exhaled with relief, "Cameca, what are you doing here?"

"The people of the Garden saw your fellow servants being led away; supposedly they attacked the High Priest of Knowledge. Were you among them?"

"Yes, but I escaped," I explained, "We didn't attack Autloc; we were set up by Tlotoxl. He aims to destroy us."

"So, you wish to conceal yourself within the Garden?"

"That'd be nice."

"Come with me." Cameca held out her hand, "I will show you to a secret corner of the Garden that is known to me alone. Your husband is already there."

"My husband-? Oh, right." She meant the Doctor.

I then allowed Cameca to lead me into the deep recesses of the garden: where the jungle was so thick, the heavy branches gave the illusion of perpetual night. It was a good place to hide where one could barely see the nose on the end of their face.

"Step lively," Cameca called to me as I stumbled heavily over some roots. "Doctor, I have brought her to you."

The Doctor glanced up and his expression momentarily brightened. "Terna, thank goodness," he exclaimed, jumping up to embrace me. "I heard that Susan and Ian were captured by Ixta and taken away, but that you managed to escape."

"Yeah, just barely," I replied.

The Doctor chuckled, "Always the wily one, aren't you?"

"If I may," Cameca interjected, "What could your enemies possibly have to gain from hurting the High Priest of Knowledge? Of all our rulers, he is the most gentle."

"That's precisely the point," I replied, "He is the only one in power that is still on our side. Tlotoxl needed him to lose faith in us in order to make a move against Barbara."

"Cameca, do tell me. What is to become of Ian and my granddaughter?"

Cameca dropped her eyes, "The punishment for attacking a High Priest is death."

"So Ian is to die?" I asked.

"Yes, most likely butchered by Ixta." The Doctor said as he glanced down at the pulley wheel. "I must finish this quickly. We have no time to waste."

"What is that you're making?" Cameca inquired.

"Oh, just something to take my mind off things," the Doctor replied, sitting down and going back to his carving.

The Aztec woman than turned to me, "If you wish, I could intercede to Autloc on your friends' behalf."

"What good will that do?" I replied, "He already denounced Yetaxa as a false goddess."

"Perhaps she can restore his faith," the Doctor offered.

"How? He will most likely refuse to see her."

Cameca gave me a wry smile, "Allow me to convince him to go to the temple and speak with your god." With that, she slipped out of the dark brush and left.

I watched her go, a million thoughts running through my head. I turned back to the Doctor, who was still hard at work on his pulley wheel.

With a sigh, I sat down beside him. "You can say it."

He looked up in surprise. "Say what?"

"I told you so."

"Why would I say that?'

"I was on Barbara's side, remember?" I reminded him. "I thought she could use her power to change history in any way she saw fit."

"So you understand now?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes, I'm just not used to being restrained like this," I replied. "Whether by beings so small or events so large. It is true when they say that Lyall live in space but not time. We do not feel its passing, it does not affect us. We see the waters move on the horizon, but the tide never comes in."

"Eloquently put," the Doctor mused, "But tell me, are you really so terribly unhappy?"

"What do you mean?"

"These circumstances must be uncomfortable for you to say the least. However, I predict you may be remaining with us for a while yet."

"I'm not in pain, if that's what you're implying."

"Perhaps not in the physical sense."

"Are you really trying to have a heart to heart with me, right now?" I almost snapped.

"There you go again," the Doctor mused. "Always throwing walls up."

"Says the kettle to the pot."

"You like that expression, don't you? Do Lyall even use kettles or pots?"

"Oh, go back to your whittling, old man."

The Doctor chuckled as he bent over his work.

Not in physical pain…

I wasn't about to pour out my soul to the Doctor, especially not here and now. The only person I'd truly revealed anything of depth to had been Susan, and that had been in a moment of great weakness. Then again, the Doctor had been listening at the time so perhaps that was why he was probing me now. Regardless, I was more anxious than upset in my current circumstance: I was frustrated at my loss of memory, the mystery of the God Project that I, Susan, and the Doctor had all been involved in, the prospect of other Lyall survivors out there somewhere, floundering in space, at the potential of a traitor to my people somewhere in the universe.

I glanced up at the sky, mere pockets of light through the black branches. _It all seems so far away down here on the ground._

"There you are, my dear; it's nearly finished," the Doctor declared, jerking me from my thoughts. I glanced over to him to see that his pulley wheel was indeed almost completed.

"Oh thank God!" I exclaimed, taking it from him so that I could inspect it fully. "Do you really think it will work?" I asked, handing it back to him.

"We shall find out tomorrow," the Doctor replied, "During the sacrifice to the sun god. It will be our only opportunity when Tlotoxl is distracted by the ceremony."

"So, you are leaving then?" The Doctor and I glanced up to see that Cameca had returned.

"You're back," I cried as the Doctor and I jumped to our feet in unison.

Cameca nodded with a sad smile, "Yes, I convinced Autloc to meet with Yetaxa. Perhaps the tides of fate shall move at last in your direction."

"We can hope so," the Doctor agreed, stepping forward and taking Cameca's hand. "Thank you, my dear for all your help."

Cameca looked at him, her eyes misted, "Tomorrow shall truly be a day of darkness."

The Doctor smiled slightly, placing a hand on her cheek. "You are a very find woman, Cameca, and the help you've been to us will never be forgotten."

Cameca glanced over to me. I tried to give her as reassuring a smile as I could.

"Take care of him," she said to me before stepping away from us both and disappearing back into the brush.

The Doctor watched after her; I could see a blend of several emotions swimming through those curious eyes of his.

"Hey, you alright?" I asked.

"Yes, of course," the Doctor replied, seeming slightly distracted, "It's just a shame, such a bright woman to be born into a time such as this, into a doomed society. It hardly seems fair."

"Nothing ever does," I replied simply.

The Doctor looked at me, before slowly reaching up and placing his hand on my cheek in the same manner he had to Cameca moments before. "Words of wisdom for us both, Eternal."

I nodded. "We should probably get going," I added.

"Ah! Yes, right," the Doctor agreed, quickly yanking his hand away and gathering up the pulley wheel. "We must make haste to Barbara and try to find a way to get Susan and Ian back."

A morbid thought coursed through my mind. _If it's not already too late._

"Doctor, I don't think this is a good idea," Barbara protested the following morning as the Doctor and I fumbled with the makeshift rope and pulley system.

"They're all preparing for the ceremony, Barbara," the Doctor replied as he attempted to attach the rope to the throne, "This is the only time we'll be able to do this."

"But they'll be here at any moment," Barbara insisted, "Don't you realize that?"

"Yes, of course. Which is why we need to get this done quickly," the Doctor replied.

"Perhaps you ought to order Autloc to release Ian and Susan before the ceremony starts," I advised her.

"In front of everybody?" Barbara asked.

"Yes. It'll only take me a moment to open the doors," I reminded her, "And then we shall all dash through there and-"

"Shh!" The Doctor clapped a hand over my mouth before we both ducked behind the throne, and Barbara stepped forward to meet with whoever had entered the temple.

"The procession has started," Tlotoxl declared as he lumbered into the room, "Are you ready to attend the ceremony?"

"Where's Autloc?" Barbara demanded.

"He will not be present," the High Priest replied.

"Why not? What have you done with him?" Barbara cried.

"I? Nothing," Tlotoxl replied with a shrug, "He has gone into the wilderness."

"When will he return?"

"Never." Tlotoxl replied with a grin before he left, leaving Barbara standing there looking very disturbed.

The Doctor and I stepped around the side of the throne. "Are you alright?" I asked her.

"No, I'm not," Barbara sounded strained. "Oh, look at the mess I've made of things," she exclaimed, placing her head in her hands and collapsing onto the throne. "I was a fool to think I could change history, that I could change the ways of an entire people!"

The Doctor looked down at her sternly, "Do you see now what I meant, Barbara?"

The human woman looked up at him. "Yes, I do."

"But it will be alright," I reminded her, "We have a means of escape. We just need find a way to rescue Ian and Susan without Autloc intervening."

"Grandfather!" As if on cue, Susan suddenly burst into the temple, quickly followed by Ian.

"Susan, my dear child," the Doctor exclaimed as the young Time Lady rushed up to hug him. "How on earth did you manage to get away from those warriors?"

"It was with the help of that Aztec woman you mentioned, Doctor," Ian explained. "She bribed the soldier guarding us by giving him the wealth Autloc left behind. She said he'd gone into the jungle to reflect on the ways of the gods."

"Yes, we heard," Barbara replied. "It seems he's lost his faith in his gods."

"Never mind that now," Ian exclaimed. "The ceremony is about to begin."

"What are we to do then?" I asked, "It won't take Tlotoxl and Ixta long to notice you've gone. We won't be able to sneak away quietly."

"Well, I do have this," Ian piped up. He holds up a set of Aztec armor. "I took it off the guard Cameca bribed after I knocked him unconscious."

"Excellent," the Doctor exclaimed, "Here. Put these on and return to the Warriors' Hall. Escort the men that are to oversee the ceremony back to the temple, and then order them to bring those that are to be punished before Yetaxa. When they leave to retrieve you and Susan, then we shall make our escape."

"It's a gamble," I mused. "We'll only have a small window."

"It's a risk we'll have to take," the Doctor replied.

"Alright, I'll do it," Ian declared, already pulling the bulky bird helmet over his head.

"Good luck, my boy," the Doctor said to him.

Ian nodded before heading out of the temple once more.

Waiting for the ceremony to begin was agonizing; time seemed to move in slow motion. Barbara sat on her throne, resting her hand on her cheek. I sat on the steps beside her feet, playing with my Omni-Vice. The Doctor paced the room in front of us, his eye flitting every so often to the antechamber just off the throne room where he'd instructed Susan to wait so as to stay out of sight.

Finally, the warriors arrived along with the Sacrifice and Tonila, who I surmised would be taking Autloc's place as the High Priest of Knowledge. The Doctor and I quickly ducked behind the throne as Ian entered, flanked by the other warriors; his face was almost completely concealed by the bulky bird helmet so I doubted Tonila suspected a thing. Ian approached Barbara upon her throne, bowing as she rose to her feet.

He then escorted Barbara out onto the platform. "Go now and bring those that are to be punished," he added to the soldiers, who marched off.

Barbara turned to Tonila, "Where's Tlotoxl? The ceremony cannot begin without him."

"He comes with the handmaiden," Tonila replied, "She shall be pierced with thorns."

"Damnit," I hissed. "Tlotoxl will know what's going on as soon as he sees Susan isn't there!"

As if on cue, Tlotoxl suddenly appeared. "False goddess! You have betrayed us!" he brandished a knife threateningly at Barbara.

Ian grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. The High Priest cried out in pain and dropped the knife."Ixta!" he cried.

"Barbara, run!" Ian called to her. Barbara turned and dashed back into the throne room just as Susan and the Doctor came out of hiding. All three of them went to the pulley system.

Tlotoxl managed to break free of Ian's grip just as Ixta rushed up the temple steps. Ian turned towards him, and Tlotoxl snatched up the knife attempting to stab Ian from behind.

"Ian!" I cried, the light burst from between my fingers as the Omni-Vice became a sword. Tlotoxl whirled around to find the tip of my blade poised at his throat. "Move and you die," I declared.

Behind him, Ixta lunged towards Ian, wielding his club. The other man deflected it with his shield, and the two jumped around the altar, smashing their clubs together and parrying with their shields.

"So, this is your true form?" Tlotoxl purred, sneering as he stepped to the side of me. I followed him with my eyes and my sword. "This is the queen whose voice I heard in the Warriors' Hall."

"Are you afraid of me?" I asked.

Tlotoxl's grip tightened on the knife in his fist. "Not at all. A queen is nothing without her subjects."

I gritted my teeth, "You should be glad there's only one of me." I took a step closer, my sword pressing lightly into Tlotoxl's throat. "I should kill you, Tlotoxl," I hissed.

Suddenly, there was a great crash from outside. I glanced to the left in time to see Ixta knock Ian's club from his hand and pin him against the temple wall.

"Ian!" Tlotoxl forgotten, I dashed out onto the platform. I raised my sword above my head, prepared to sink the blade deep into Ixta's exposed back, but the Aztec man heard my approach. He turned around in time to knock me to the side. My sword fell from my hand and clattered to the ground on the temple steps. I staggered backward, arms flailing; I managed to snatch a handful of the material on Ixta's tunic, pulling him to the ground as well.

The Aztec warrior gave a cry of surprise as I yanked him backward, away from Ian. I staggered under the pressure just as Ian jumped back up from the wall. I fell backward and smacked my head against the altar.

My vision swam with stars as I slumped against the stone; through the haze, I could just make out Ixta rush towards Ian again. But this time he was ready. Ixta grabbed Ian by the wrists and forced him to the ground at the edge of the temple steps. But, just as he was about to push him over, Ian kicked up his legs and sent Ixta flying over his head.

The Aztec warrior gave a shriek as he tumbled over the side and plummeted down several stories to the city below.

Ian rolled over onto his stomach, gasping heavily. "Ian!" I rushed over to him, putting my arms around him to help his sit up. He was shaking heavily, looking down in horror at Ixta's broken body lying in a heap on the ground.

"You had no choice," I whispered.

Ian didn't respond right away. "W-Where's Tlotoxl?"

"Gone," I replied. "He got away."

"I suppose it's for the best," Ian replied, slowly rising into a standing position. "Thanks," he added to me, holding out the Omni-Vice, which had reverted back to its true form.

"No problem," I replied taking the device and then reaching up and loosening the strap on his helmet. "Now, take that thing off; you look silly."

Ian laughed slightly before removing the helmet, and then we both raced into the throne room in time to see the others had managed to get the pulley system to work, and the temple door was slowly rising.

"Are you two alright?" Susan asked us.

"We're fine. Now let's get out of here," I replied hurriedly before ushering her and Barbara into the temple. Ian and I followed with the Doctor bringing up the rear. He'd just crossed the threshold when the temple door slammed shut behind us.

The silence and the darkness of the tomb pressed in around us as we all staggered to a halt to catch our breath.

"We made it," Ian exclaimed.

"I'm glad we managed to escape," Susan added.

"Indeed," the Doctor agreed, "Susan, why don't you go inside the ship and make sure everything's in order."

"Alright," Susan agreed, producing her key and quickly unlocking the door. She stepped inside with Ian close behind her. I was about to follow, but then I saw the Doctor and Barbara hanging back. Barbara was peeling off the elaborate garments the High Priests had adorned her with.

"We failed," she mused.

"Yes, we did; we had to," the Doctor replied.

"What's the point of traveling through time and space if we can't change anything?" Barbara demanded bitterly as she yanked off her shawl and tossed it onto the altar beside the corpse of the real Yetaxa.

"Tlotoxl had to win, Barbara," I reminded her.

"Yes," the Doctor agreed.

"And the one man I had respect for, I deceived," Barbara added. "Poor Autloc, I gave him false hope, and in the end, he lost his faith."

"Perhaps, but he found another faith, a better one," the Doctor replied, stepping forward and placing a hand on her shoulder. "And that's the good you've done. You failed to save a civilization, but at least you helped one man."

Barbara gave the Doctor a small, sad smile before removing the coiled serpent bracelet and tenderly placing it back on the altar.

With that, she turned and headed into the TARDIS.

The Doctor was about to follow, but stopped when he noticed I hadn't moved. I stood there, watching the motionless corpse lying prone upon the stone.

"Terna?"

"There was once a race of people, the Orgalacs," I said, "They worshipped us, the Lyall, as gods, and they used to cut out their children's hearts as sacrifices to us."

The Doctor looked at me, "And what did you do about it?"

I turned towards him. "Nothing and in the end they destroyed each other."

The Doctor stepped over to me and gingerly took my hand, "Perhaps, it's not always good to not interfere," I mused thoughtfully. "After all, a queen is nothing without her people."

The Doctor regarded me thoughtfully. "Yes, I suppose you're right, Terna…I suppose you're right."

With that, we both walked into the TARDIS together, closing the doors behind us on the tomb, on the temple, on the Aztecs.

Much later, after everyone had gone to bed, I found the Doctor still in the Console Room. He was bent over the controls, but I saw, as I approached, he wasn't working any of the buttons. Rather, he was intently studying the brooch Cameca had given us, gingerly turning it over in his fingers.

"Can't sleep?" I asked.

The Doctor jumped, the brooch falling from his fingers and clattering onto the dash board. "Terna! You're so quiet."

I smiled slightly as I stepped into the room, carefully balancing a tray between my fingers. "Tell me, Time Lord; do you ever sleep?"

"Not if I can help it," the Doctor replied, eyeing the tray. "What's that?"

"Hot chocolate," I replied, "Proper hot chocolate that is, with milk and everything. Susan showed me how to make it."

I walked up to the Console and handed him a mug. "A testament, I suppose, that I forgive you for that kiss."

"Why, how very kind of you," the Doctor exclaimed, accepting the mug and taking a sip.

"Why the tone of surprise?" I asked with a mock grin as I took a swig from my own mug. The frothy liquid felt warm and pleasant running down my throat.

"I see you put marshmallows in mine," the Doctor observed.

"Yes, Susan said you liked them. I wasn't as much a fan."

"I see. Have you tried whipped cream? Some people prefer that."

"No. What's whipped cream?"

"Here. There's a whipped cream dispenser on the Console. It's over there beside the fax machine."

"Why do you have a whipped cream dispenser on the Console?" I asked as I walked over to the nozzle he'd indicated.

"Why not?" the Doctor replied, taking another sip of his drink.

I held the hose over my mug and pushed the button to dispense a foamy, fluffy concoction into the drink.

I eyed it curiously before taking a taste. My eyes widened. "This is delicious!"

"I thought you might like it," the Doctor replied as I drank another mouthful. He laughed when I lifted my head. "You've got a little on your upper lip," he exclaimed, gesturing with his finger.

I quickly rubbed my face with the back of my hand, blushing furiously.

My eyes then fell on Cameca's brooch still resting on the console. The Doctor looked at it too.

"Are you gonna miss her?" I asked.

"Perhaps in some way," the Doctor replied simply, picking up the pendant and turning it over in his hands. "She was a great help to us and wise beyond her time. It's a shame; it really is, for her to be born to a doomed people."

I took another sip of my hot chocolate. "Yeah, it is."

"But I suppose you are right," he continued, looking at me. "Time isn't fair to any of us and that's just something we need to learn to live with."

"Maybe not all the time," I remarked.

The Doctor looked at me. "Perhaps…But it is still wise to remember what we once had," he then reached forward and fastened the brooch to the collar of my nightgown. "So that we don't lose sight of what we can have."

I looked down at the pin gleaming in the half light, a smile playing at the corners of my mouth.

"Now then," the Doctor held his mug up. "To the future! Cheers"

I laughed, "To the past! _Saluti_!"

We clinked mugs together. The sound echoed throughout the sleepy ship as it tumbled through time and space towards a destination unknown.

* * *

A/N: It would seem that the dynamic between the TARDIS gang has certainly smoothed out, especially the Doctor and Terna's relationship. Stay tuned for more!


	13. The Sensorites

A/N: I've noticed that many people assign face-claims to their _Doctor Who _OCs, so Terna's face-claim is Nicole Kidman ;)

* * *

Chapter 13: The Sensorites

* * *

"Susan? Susan, where are you?" I called out aimlessly as I wandered through the TARDIS's many, nearly identical hallways.

Damn, where has that child gotten to this time?

I paused in the middle of the plain, white corridor when the sound of a distant, rhythmic thumping reached my ears. I tilted my head to the side, listening, and eventually traced the sound to the room at the end of the hall. The door was partially ajar and a sliver of grey light was spilling out into the hallway.

I approached the door, listening intently, and the sound of muffled voices soon reached my ear; one of which I recognized to be my granddaughter's.

I paused in front of the door, curiosity getting the better of me as I leaned forward ever so slightly and peered through the crack in the door.

The room beyond was a massive gymnasium with all manner of heavy workout equipment strewn around weathered mats that acted as carpeting. The ceiling was several stories high and made of polished glass with artificial light pouring into the room. In the corner, nearest to the door, several punching bags were suspending from a pulley system.

Terna was standing in front of the one farthest from me, relentlessly wailing on the sack, which flailed about wildly each time her fist connected with its surface, rocking roughly about like a ship being tossed in a turbulent sea.

The blunt sound of impact suddenly ceased as Terna bent over, her hands on her knees, to catch her breath.

Her whole body shown with sweat, illuminated in the intense light, so that her form seemed to glow slightly. Her shoulders heaved from her position bent at the waist as she gasped for breath. Her golden blonde hair shone like spun sunlight as strands of it began to spill across her brow, falling from its ponytail.

It is said that Lyall are as beautiful as the stars; I hadn't thought it to be true until I found myself living with one.

"Are you alright, Terna?" Susan piped up from her spot on a bench a short distance away.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine…Just need to take a breather," Terna replied between gasps. Susan jumped up and rushed over to her, holding out a water bottle to the Lyall Queen.

"Thanks," she accepted it gratefully and quickly gulped down several mouthfuls.

Susan watched her. "I really wish you wouldn't push yourself so hard like this."

"Oh, I'll live," Terna replied dismissively, capping the bottle and handing it back to my granddaughter. "I've got a lot more stamina than you might think."

"But why all this exertion?" Susan inquired.

"I need to prepare myself," Terna replied, and, as she spoke, I caught that familiar glint in her eyes: that grey, haunting look casting a shadow across her sapphire irises.

"For what?"

"Anything."

Susan regarded Terna with a look of confusion. "You have to understand, Susan," the Lyall attempted to explain, "We Lyall are a war hardy race; I am a warrior as well as a queen. Although, I wasn't very good at the former."

That expression never left Terna's face as she breezed past Susan, who was giving her a knowing look, and walked over to the bench, snatching up a towel and began drying off her sweaty neck.

"I think you're a great fighter, Terna," Susan remarked brightly.

Terna laughed bitterly, "No offense, but you're not really one to say. You Gallifreyans aren't exactly known for your fighting abilities."

She was correct; my people were pacifists to a fault. After an ancient catastrophe several thousand years before my time, the Time Lords had sworn a policy of non-interference. It was a good idea at the time; after all, all that power was hardly good to be rampaging across the universe. However, centuries of immobility give plenty of time for dust to collect, and many of the senior Time Lords had loads of cobwebs in their heads.

In my opinion, anyway.

"But don't you people have psychic abilities too?" Susan piped up. "I've seen that look you get in your eyes sometimes. Like you're more aware of your surroundings than you'd like to let on."

Terna smiled slightly, "Well, my grandmother used to always say: a healthy soul comes from a healthy mind and a healthy body; the three are constantly intertwined, one affecting the others in a perpetual attempt at perfect balance."

"I don't suppose my people use telepathy and other psychic abilities as often as you do," Susan mused.

"No, I don't suppose so," Terna agreed, dumping the rest of the water bottle down the back of her neck before toweling off the remaining sweat and water. "I have heard the ancients of your people possessed quite powerful psychic attributes though."

Susan nodded, her lips pursed. "I'm a descendent of one of those families."

Terna rounded on her, eyes wide in surprise. Her expression mirrored my own.  
I was one of only two people left alive in the entire universe that knew of Susan's ancestry. I was shocked she would share information she had guarded so closely with Terna; she must like her more then I'd thought.

"That's why I was selected to take part in Renaissance," Susan continued to explain to the stunned Lyall. "They thought my unique gifts might be of use to the God Project."

"Rare and gifted Time Lords, you said," Terna mused.  
Susan nodded.  
"What about your grandfather?"

I tensed. Worry flooded through me at the thought of my granddaughter revealing my secret to Terna. However, Susan didn't respond to the Lyall's inquiry, and I allowed myself to relax.

At that moment, the door I was peering through suddenly opened, and I jumped back in surprise.

Terna was standing in the doorway, blinking in confusion.

I recovered from my earlier shock and smiled at her. "Hello, beautiful."

Terna's face remained stern, "I will be after a shower," she replied simply, breezing past me and heading into the hall.

I felt my posture diminish somewhat. How odd.

"And shouldn't you be piloting the TARDIS?" Terna called back over her shoulder.

"I have it on autopilot, thank you very much," I shot back.

"Wouldn't know the difference," the Lyall declared as she turned the corner and vanished into the TARDIS corridors.

I bristled at the remark.  
"Don't worry, Grandfather," Susan piped up from beside me, "She's just trying to ruffle your feathers."

I sighed, "Yes, I know, my dear," I turned to the young girl, "I'm certainly surprised at you just now: mentioning your blood lineage to Terna so openly like that."

Susan's eyes widened, "You were listening?"

"Only for a time," I admitted.

"I don't see any harm in it," Susan stated simply, "Renaissance is dead and buried, and we have Terna to thank for that. I don't think any harm could come from her knowing such information. What could she possibly gain from it?"

"Perhaps," I stared afte Terna, my brow knitted in wory. "Despite that, I still do not entirely trust that woman."

"Whyever not?" Susan inquired, "She's given us every reason to trust her."

"I suppose," I was only half-listening to Susan, "Yes, I suppose."

"Grandfather, I'm not going to deny that Terna was less than pleasant when she first stumbled aboard our ship. In fact, I'd say she was downright dreadful."

"Don't let her hear you say that," I remarked with a grin.

"Be that as it may, I dare say Terna's changed a great deal since she first came into our lives. For one thing, she's not nearly so withdrawn and hostile."

I suppose she did have a point; Terna was at least nicer to be around these days  
"Yes, I suppose you're right, my dear. I suppose…"

"Ian and Barbara have changed too," Susan mused.

"Now that I can agree with," I declared, "The young man is certainly not as brash as before, nor so closed-minded. Barbara, for one thing, has learned a great deal. Especially after our ordeal with the Aztecs."

"Oh dear," Susan exclaimed with a grin, "If we never end up back there again, it will be too soon."

I chuckled. "I quite agree, my dear. I quite agree." With that, I threw my arm around my granddaughter's shoulder, and we headed together back to the Console Room.

()()()

A short time later, I stood pouring over the controls of the TARDIS console, my face lined with worry as I surveyed the instruments.

_Well, this is odd. The console gives all indication that the ship has landed, and yet the monitor says we're still moving. Quite puzzling…_

"How is this possible, Grandfather?" Susan piped up from beside me.

I pressed a finger to my lips, thinking hard. "I'm not sure, Susan."

"What's the matter, Doctor?" Ian inquired as he and Barbara entered.

I glanced up at their approach, "We have a bit of a mystery on our hands, dear boy."

"What do you mean 'mystey'?" Barbara asked, just as Terna entered:

"What's this about a mystery?"

The Lyall was clean and clothed in her more traditional attire consisting of a royal blue abaya dress trimmed in white floral lace; her blond hair was twisted up into a collection of curls that cascaded in waves down one shoulder.

"It's my instruments," I explained as the other three drew closer.

"According to these controls here, we've stopped," Susan explained pointing to the monitor.

"Yes, but those instruments say we're still moving," I added, gesturing to another set of dials.

"How is that supposed to work?" Terna demanded. "You sure there's not another fault?"

"Don't you think I've thought of that?" I snapped, "I've double-checked everything, triple-checked even, and the entire system is in perfect working order. I simply can't explain it."

"Perhaps we've landed on top of something," Ian offered.

"Or inside something," Barbara added.

That last statement hung in the air like a visible storm cloud.

"Inside something, like a ship or…?" Ian asked, his voice trailing off.

Terna bit her lip, "You don't suppose..." she turned to me, "Doctor, is it possible to materialize inside something's stomach."

Susan clapped a hand to her mouth, eyes bulging in fright.

I scowled at the Lyall, "For God's sake, Terna, be reasonable. Of course it isn't possible. What good would a mechanism like that do? And don't say such things; you're frightening Susan."

"I'm alright," the young girl asserted, "It's just an awful thought."

"Well, let's find out," Barbara declared, "Try the scanner, Doctor."

Thank you, my dear. I was just about to.

I flicked the switch, and the screen mounted on the wall in the corner lit up, but all that was visible was a cloud of static.

"Try it again," Terna urged. I did so, but we got the same result.

"That could be caused by an unsurpressed motor," Ian mused,

"A what?" Terna asked.

"Or a magnetic field, perhaps," I added.

"Should we go outside, Grandfather?" Susan asked me.

"It might not be safe," Terna urged.

"Well, I shan't be satisfied until I've cleared up this little puzzle," I declared.

Barbara sighed, "I don't know why we even bother to leave the ship."

"You're still thinking about your experience with the Aztecs," Ian stated knowingly.

Barbara shook her head, a small smile on her face. "No, I've gotten over that now."

"Well, there certainly has been a lot that's happened since we first stumbled into this funny little box," Ian declared, "I dare say, we're not the same as when we started."

"That's funny, Grandfather and I were just talking about that a little while ago," Susan piped up. "How you've all changed."

"What are you talking about?" Terna demanded almost defensively.

"Oh, come off it, Terna," Ian exclaimed, throwing his arm around her shoulders, "Swallow your pride for once, eh?"

Terna shook his arm off, scowling furiously. However, when she thought no one was looking, I caught the barest glimpse of a smile playing on her lips.

How strange. Everything had been moving so fast lately; something I hadn't even noticed, and, as a Time Lord, I should.  
One minute, Susan and I were fleeing for our lives from Gallifrey, the next a Lyall had crashed into our ship and become one with its Heart and then shortly after, we found two humans accompanying us as well.

They're not half bad, any of them. Ian's a bit dim at times, but his heart's in the right place, and he's strong and brave. That's for certain. And Barbara's perfectly lovely, a bit abrasive but full of wit and charm. I'm glad I grew to see eye to eye with her; it's always interesting to relate to a mind from another planet.  
And then Terna, of course: a bit rough around the edges and rather difficult to like at first, but after a time I found her to be most extraordinary, not to mention brilliant.

"Yes, it all started out as a mild curiousity in a junkyard," I declared to the others, "Now, it's turned into quite a great spirit of adventure, hasn't it?"

"Yes, we've had some pretty rough times, but we've seen some wonders that have made it worth it," Ian agreed, "It's a marvelous thing, this ship of yours, Doctor. It's taken us back to prehistoric times, Skaro with the Daleks."

"Marco Polo," Susan added.

"The planet Marinus," Terna chimed in.

"And the Aztecs," Barbara concluded.

"Yes, and that wonderful quarrel I had with Henry VIII," I mused, "Remember, when he threw a parson's nose at me?"

Terna barked a laugh, "Yes, I do!"

"We weren't there, what did you do?" Barbara asked.

"Threw it back of course," I replied simply, which caused both her and Ian to burst out laughing.

"And he was all 'Take them to the tower'," Terna continued. "Which is why he did it."

"Yeah, because the TARDIS was in the tower. I remember," Ian exclaimed.

We all stood around the console, laughing and joking like old friends. And perhaps we were.

I glanced down at the console, feeling the faint hum of the TARDIS life force vibrating under my finger tips. Did you plan this? Did you bring us together?  
All of time and space, every one that has ever lived or ever will, and you chose the five of us to come together. Why? What are you planning?

The TARDIS didn't give me an answer; I didn't necessarily expect it to.  
"So, what are we going to do about the TARDIS, Doctor?" Ian asked, jerking me from my thoughts.

"Well, I've check all the instruments thoroughly," I replied, "There's plenty of fresh air and the temperature's normal."

"Oh, just the unknown then," Barbara declared.

"Precisely."

"So, all that's left is to go outside and take a look around," Terna declared, picking up the magnifying glass she and Susan had dubbed the Omni-Vice from the Egyptian throne and tucking it into her pocket.

"Yes, let's get going," I announced, "Susan, open the door."

The young girl obliged: pulling the lever on the console, and the large TARDIS doors slowly swung open.

All that lay beyond was a heavy darkness.

Cautiously, we all filed out of the time machine and stepped into a cramped, narrow space. It was a hall of sorts, absent of light and dingy with age. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all metal in origin and there were no windows to be seen.

I stood there for a time, blinking rapidly, as I tried to adjust my eyes to the lack of light.

"You were right, Barbara; we have landed in something," Ian said from behind me.

"Yes, a spaceship," the woman replied.

To my left, Terna sneezed loudly. "Sorry," she sniffed, "Dust."

"Is anyone here?" Ian asked.

"It doesn't look like there's been life on this crate for a few years at least," Terna replied, waving her handkerchief in front of her face so as to clear up more of the lingering dust.

I turned to my granddaughter, "Lock the door, Susan, and let's move cautiously. There may have been some kind of catastrophe here."

Slowly, we began to move down the hall. The darkness never wavered the further we went into the ship. As we passed a narrow window, I caught a glimpse of a sliver of inky sky peppered with white pinprick stars.

Space…Deep space by the look of it.

As we rounded a corner, we came to the main control room.  
The bridge was round in shape, like my own ship's, with dozens of computers scattered about and a large window facing the back wall which looked out onto the view of a lonely, pearly white planet suspended in the sky.

"Doctor!" Ian cried, rushing forward. I followed him to see he was hurrying over to two figures sitting before the computers. They were both dressed in traditional pilot's uniforms from what looked to be from Earth at a much later date, and both were slumped forward in their seats: still and utterly lifeless.

Ian knelt down before a dark-haired man and pressed two fingers to his neck. He glanced up at us, his expression grim. "Dead."

"This one's a girl," Susan called, hurrying over to the other figure, who was a woman with light blonde hair swept up in a twist. Terna followed her. She pressed her fingers to the woman's neck in the same way Ian had done. "She's dead too."

"What could have happened?" Barbara asked.

"I don't know; I can't see a wound or anything," Terna replied, bending down to peer more closely at the dead woman.

"Suffocation, perhaps?" Ian offered.

"I never make uninformed guesess, my boy," I replied, "But that's certainly one answer."  
I walked over to the body of the woman; she was lying slumped across the monitor, her face still and pale with death, but there was still a youth, a peacefulness to her expression. "Oh dear, dear, dear, what a tragedy," I mused. "She's only a few years older than Susan."

"Grandfather, let's go back to the TARDIS," Susan suddenly piped up.

"Why? Terna, why are you sitting down?" I demanded as the Lyall suddenly collapsed into a nearby chair.

"You feel it too? Don't you, Terna?" Susan whispered.

"Yes," she nodded gravely "Some kind of disturbance in the air, some kind of prescence."

"Do you think that's what killed these people?" Barbara asked.

"It's possible," Terna replied, "I don't know what it is, but it's making my blood run cold."

"Well, whatever it was that killed these people, it could kill us," Ian declared.

I was only half-listening to their conversation at this point. I had noticed a flash of something metallic on the dead girl's wrist. Bending down, I found it to be a self-rewinding watch.  
_How odd…  
_"Chesteron, do you notice anything odd about this watch?" I asked aloud.  
Ian peered over my shoulder to examine the device I'd indicated more closely. "It's not working," I gestured to the other body, "Neither is the man's, and this is the non-winding type: a movement of the wrist recharges the spring inside for twenty four hours."

"I see," Ian observed the woman's watch, "They've both stopped at about three o'clock."

"Yes, then suppose they've only just stopped," I offered, my mind reeling as the thought occurred to me, "That would mean the last movement of their wrists was at least twenty four hours ago."

"Then they've only just died," Terna exclaimed.

"You're right, Terna; he's still warm," Susan exclaimed, placing a hand on the man's face.

"It doesn't make any sense, does it?" Barbara said to Ian, who shook his head in argeement.

I nodded as well, sighing at the dismal sight before us. "I think it would be wise if we returned to the ship and left these people," I declared, "There's nothing we can do for them."

As I turned to head back down the hall towards the TARDIS, I heard Barbara whisper to Ian and the others, "We can't even bury them."

I sighed, shaking my head. What a tragedy to come across. Hardly a reflection of the rather uplifting journey we'd all been discussing a few moments ago. "Unlock the door, Susan," I said to my granddaughter as she came up behind me.

She nodded, fumbling for the key around her neck, when suddenly, out of the darkness of the lifeless ship, we all caught a glimpse of the male pilot suddenly slumping forward with a loud groan.

I jumped, my hearts standing still in my chest. Terna gaped at the man, "His heart had stopped beating. Doctor, he was dead!"

The man groaned again, mumbling something under his breath.  
Quickly, we all rushed over to him. I knelt down beside the man's face. He turned towards me, his dark eyes were bloodshot and bleary as he spoke again in the same slurred tone.

"What is it? What do you want?" I asked the man as our eyes met.

"Over there," the man pointed to a cabinet behind Ian.

"Chesteron," I said to him.

"Where? Here?" the human man asked, gesturing to the cabinet.

The other man nodded, "On the left."

Ian opened their cabinet to find a small metal box about the size of a pencil case, "This?"

The man nodded as he gingerly sat up, blinking rapidly despite th dim light. He was thin and ghostly pale as though he'd just recovered from a long boute of illness.

Ian handed the man the box he'd asked him to retrieve. We all watched, mesmerized as the pilot opened the box and placed a small metal contraption to his chest.  
A dull thrumming reached my ears, not unlike that of the human heartbeat before the device gave a great shock.

The man jerked violently, gasping, before he relaxed. None of us had any words to say as we watched this apparent miracle unfold before our eyes.

Terna was right; this man had been dead, and yet here he was: alive before our eyes.

The man still looked exhausted as he rubbed sweat from his brow. His head suddenly snapped up as he seemed to apparently remember something. "Carol," he cried, before turning to Barbara, "Place this on Carol's chest."

Carol, I assume he means the woman.

Barbara regarded the man sadly, "I'm sorry; Carol is dead."

The man seemed unfazed, "Please, do as I ask."

Barbara looked towards the rest of us, unsure of what to do.  
"Go on, Barbara," Terna urged, "If he wasn't dead, then maybe…"

The human woman nodded before going over to the other girl, named Carol apparently, and placing the strange apparatus to her chest.

The same thing happened: there was the ryhtmic thumping, Carol gave a sudden jerk, and then, the next thing we knew, she had opened her eyes and was looking quizzically at all of us.

Ian and I exchanged a glance, "They were both dead," he said to me.

"I've never seen anything like it," Terna added.

"Grandfather, what was in that box?" Susan asked me.

"It's a heart resuscitator," the male pilot replied before I could respond.

Right, that's _exactly _what I was going to say.

"When you found us, we were in a very deep sleep," the man continued, "But we were not dead." At that moment, the woman got to her feet, still evidently dazed, as Barbara helped her over to the rest of us, "My name is Maitland," the man continued to explain, "And this is Carol Richmond, my co-astronaut."

The girl called Carol smiled weakly at us. I turned to the man, Maitland, "Tell me, are you from the Earth?"

"Yes," Maitland replied.

"So are we!" Barbara exclaimed, "How's it looking?"

"The Earth?" Carol asked, "Well, there's still too much air traffic."

"Oh, they got it off the roads, did they?" Ian asked with a grin.

"You might say that, yes," Maitland replied, looking slightly confused.

"Barbara and I come from London," Ian added to him, "Tell me, is Big Ben still on time?"

Maitland gaped at the pair of them, "What century do you come from? The twenty first, perhaps?"

"No, the twentieth," Barbara corrected him.

"I see," Maitland mused thoughtfully.

"What's Big Ben?" Carol asked.

"That was my next question," Terna added.

Ian and Barbara gaped at the former, "It's a clock," the human woman exclaimed, "Near Westminster Abbey."

"Yes, well, the whole lower half of England is called Central City now," Maitland explained, "There hasn't been a London for four hundred years. We come from the twenty eighth century."

"Captain Maitland, these people must leave us immediately," Carol suddenly exclaimed before any of us could respond.

"Yes, I agree," the other astronaut replied

"But there's still so much we want to know," Ian protested.

"I'm sorry, but there's only danger here for you. You must go," Maitland cried.

"Danger?" Terna asked. "What sort of danger?"

Maitland dropped his eyes, and I could see a dense shadow of fear cross his face, "Its better that you don't know what happened to us."

"But maybe we could help you," Barbara insisted.

Beside me, I felt Terna grab my arm.  
"Doctor, I think we should go," she whispered to me as I turned towards her.

"What do mean?" I asked.

The Lyall looked at me; her vibrant blue eyes were wide with fear. I turned to see this same terror reflected in Susan's face as well. Whatever it was that they were sensing, it was totally malignant.

"No, I think Maitland is right," I announced to Barbara and Ian, "It would be best to heed their advice and take our leave of this place. Besides, I learned not to meddle in other people's affairs years ago."

Ian snorted at this.

I scowled at him, "Now, now. Don't be absurd. There's not an ounce of curioustiy in me."

However, as much as I'd hate to admit it, I did want to learn of these peoples' plight and and the reason for us finding them in such a dismal state. While the prescence Susan and Terna were detecting was far above my threshold, I still desired to unearth it. The look Terna was giving me: I hadn't seen anything short of the Daleks get her that spooked.

"Tell me, why are you in danger?" I asked Maitland, ignoring Ian and Babara sniggering.

Maitland sighed, defeated. "Very well, I'll try to explain." He gestured towards the large window across the way from us, depicting a dense blanket of stars and the single white planet suspended like a tear drop in the dark heavens. "Out there is a planet we called the Sense-Sphere," Maitland continued. "The creatures on it, the Sensorites, have continuously prevented us from leaving this area of space."

"You mean they have some sort of control over your ship?" Terna inquired.

"Yes," Maitland replied but then hesitated, "But it's not that simple. They not only control our craft, they also have some kind of control over _us _as well."

"You mean hypnosis?" I asked.

"No, I don't mean hypnosis," Maitland asserted, "Somehow they have control over our minds. They are hostile, these Sensosrites, but in the strangest possible way. They won't let us leave this area of space, and yet they don't attempt to kill us."

"What had happened when we'd found you?" Susan inquired.

"The same thing that's happened many times before," Carol replied, "The Sensorites put us in a deep sleep that gives the appearance of death, and yet they've never made any effort to actually destroy us."

"Not only that, but both Carol and I have hazy recollections of them coming to our ship, from time to time, to actually _feed_ us."

"Well, perhaps they're holding you here for something," Terna offered, "Planning to do something with you a after a certain amount of time. If you say they're feeding you then maybe-"

"Stop right there, Terna," I cut her off, knowing full well what she was about to suggest, and the very thought might send us all into a panic.

"None of it adds up at all," Ian mused.

"But it's why you must leave us," Carol insisted.

"Yes," Maitland agreed, "The Sensorites might prevent _you _from leaving as well. You mustn't delay any longer."

Ian turned to me, "I'm inclined to believe him, Doctor."

"But surely there's something we can do for them," Terna insisted.

"No. Nobody can help us," Maitland replied gravely.

"Grandfather, couldn't we take them back with us?" Susan suddenly suggested.

"We cannot leave this ship," Maitland asserted.

"You see, there's John to think of too," Carol added.

Who's John?

"John?" I asked aloud.

"Ian, I can smell something burning," Barbara suddenly cried.

"So can I," Susan agreed.

"Yes, you're right." Ian turned to Maitland, "You wouldn't have anything shortening, would you?"

"No, that's not possible."

"Ah!" Terna suddenly shrieked and grabbed her hand in apparent pain.

"What is it, Terna?" Susan asked.

"I just felt like I was burned," she replied.

"By what?" Barbara asked.

"Not a clue," the Lyall answered.

"Terna, Barbara, the smell's coming from down here," Susan exclaimed before running off in the direction of the burning odor, the two woman following close behind.

"You have additional crew then?" I asked Maitland, "You did mention a John."

"Yes." Carol looked greatly troubled at the mention of him.

As did Maitland, "Doctor, you must go. Leave us."

I looked at him, then to Carol, then back again.  
There must be something…Oh, but I don't suppose there is, and Maitland is right: the longer we stay here, the greater danger I put Susan and the others in.

Very well.

"I suppose there isn't anything I can do for you," I finally admitted, "So I suppose we should go."

Maitland and Carol nodded in relief. "Well, goodby then. Come along, Chesterton," I added rather awkwardly before Ian and I headed back down the hall after the three woman.

"The burning smell is stronger over here, Doctor," Barbara said to me once we'd reached them and the TARDIS.

"Perhaps it's coming from inside the ship," I offered.

"Grandfather!" Susan suddenly cried at the same time I noticed as well that something very important to the TARDIS exterior was conspicuously missing.

"Good gracious, they've taken the lock!" I cried, rushing up to the door to see that the entire opening mechanism had been cleanly removed.

"Does that mean we're locked out?" Terna demanded.

"There must be some way of getting in," Ian insisted, "What can we do, Doctor? Break down the door?"

"And disturb the field dimensions inside the TARDIS? We dare not," I replied grimly, "No, we've been most effectively shut out."

"The Sensorites?" Susan asked quietly.

"Who else?" I replied through gritted teeth. I could feel fury building up inside my chest. How dare these creatures desecrate my ship and leave the five of us stranded? How dare they!

"What do they want with us?" my granddaughter asked me.

"I don't know."

"Probably the same reason they're keeping Maitland and Carol," Terna mused.

Suddenly the ship lurched violently, nearly knocking all of us off our feet.

From down the hall, we heard Carol scream: "The Sensorites! Keep back; get away!"

"Come on!" Ian said to us, taking Barbara's hand and then attempting to make his way back down the hall towards the bridge.

The ship shook, and tremors vibrated throughout its interior, making me feel like my teeth were about to rattle out of my skull.

It took a great amount of effort, but we managed to stagger our way back into the bridge where we found Maitland and Carol furiously wrestling with the controls.

Had they lost control of their ship?

As quickly as I could, I stumbled over to Maitland, gripping the control panel for support. I found the Captain sitting slumped in his chair, his head in his hands.

"What's the matter with you, man? Can't you control your own craft?" I demanded as the ship continued to buck and roll around us.

Maitland glanced up at me. "I'm powerless. The Sensorites are stronger than I am."

As I looked at him, I saw that he was ghostly pale and was shaking violently. He didn't seem to be able to move.

"Where's your parallel thurst?" I cried.

"There," Maitland gasped, pointing to a lever.

"Right," I pulled down the switch before turning to Ian, "Velocity, Chesteron. Check velocity."

Ian, who was comforting Carol from what appeared to be a migraine, glanced up at the screen. "It's not even on the unit reader, Doctor!"

"Don't try to control the spacecraft," Maitland cried, grabbing my arm and trying to pull me away from the controls. "It's suicide, I tell you!"

"Oh please, go away," I snapped, throwing him off. Terna then pulled him back and deposited him in his seat.

"Velocity's hitting the red, Doctor," Ian called.

"Right," I gritted my teeth, "Stabilizers, Maitland."

The captain finally seemed to gather enough strength as he pulled down the lever. As quickly as it started, the ship stopped shaking and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank God for that," Terna exclaimed, collapsing into a chair beside Maitland, "It felt like the ship was spinning on its axis."

"It was spinning on its axis," I said to her.

However, our relief was short lived as the ship suddenly gave a great lurch, and we were hurtled forward into motion.

"Grandfather, look, we're heading straight towards it!" Susan cried, pointing to the Sense-Sphere.

"Where are your deflection rays?" I asked Maitland. He didn't respond, once again sitting with his head in his hands. "Maitland!" I cried, shaking him roughly. He snapped from his stupor momentarily. "Maitland, deflector rays," I repeated.

"White panel," he gasped, "But it's useless."

"We'll see about that," I replied, bending over the indicated panel as I began systematically pressing buttons.

My mind was racing, "Reading please," I called.

"Mach three, breaking one," Carol gasped.

"Nineteen miles to the point of impact," Ian added. "Closing fast."

Behind me, Susan grabbed Terna's arm. "Terna, we're going to hit. We're going to hit."

"Be quiet, Susan. You're grandfather's got things under control."

Yes, I do…Mostly.

Sweat beaded on my brow as I wrestled with the controls. Power over the ship is right; it was like trying to reel in an angry bull.

"Jet…Reverse….Starboard, now!" I cried as I slammed my hand down on a lever, and the ship surged violently to the right. "Port…now." I pulled another lever and the ship swerved the left.

And yet we never slowed.  
"Velocity still rising," Ian called.

No kidding.

"Increasing to mach four," Carol called.

"Heading straight to point of impact," Terna whispered from beside me.

"The altitude's falling," Ian exclaimed.

Look, I asked you to recite the readings, young man, but I don't need you stating the obvious.

"Mach four!" Carol announced.

"Doctor!" Terna cried as the Sense-Sphere loome ahead of us.

"Barbara, see that panel?" I gestured the human woman to a set of lights and buttons off to the side. "Are the three lights on?"

"Yes."

I whirled on Maitland, who was whimpering in his chair. "Forward thrust, Maitland. Do you hear me? Forward thrust!"

The captain was shaking all over, his face ashen in the half-light.

"Forward thrust and lock?" Terna asked.

I barely nodded before she rushed forward, leaning across Maitaland, and yanked on the lever, locking it in place.

The ship gave a great lurch and every one gasped as the front window was completely consumed with the Sense-Sphere before we were hurled to the left and just barely passed the planet by.

I exhaled with relief, reaching into my pocket to retrieve a handkerchief. I laughed to myself as I dabbed my brow.

Did it…I did it. Well, was there ever any doubt I would?

I looked to Terna. "Good work."

She smiled slightly in response.

Beside her, Maitland was staring down at his hands. "Why couldn't I do it?" He let out a sob as he buried his face in his fingers.

I glanced at him and then looked back to Terna as she rested a comforting arm resting on the back of his chair.

She returned my gaze, shaking her head.

I sighed. _What kind of a mess have we gotten ourselves into this time?_

()()()

Eventually, everyone managed to recover from our fright, and it was decided the best thing for all of us would be a hot meal. While Barbara and Susan went about preparing some of the pre-packaged astronaut food, Ian, Terna and I sat with Carol and Maitland.

"I trust you're feeling better?" I asked the latter.

"Yes, my head's much clearer," Maitland replied, although he still looke rather shaken.

"I'm certainly glad you were able to find a solution, Doctor," Ian said to me, "Maitland wasn't kidding when he said the Sensorites prevented him and Carol from acting to defend themselves."

"On that point, I think it's safe to say that the Sensorites have some form of psychic influence over their minds," Terna added. "Whether it be a hive mind or a gestalt, they seem to draw power from one another and project psychic energies out into the space surrounding their planet in order to influence and control."

"A good assumption to make," I agreed, "The question is: why?"

"You don't think they were trying to kill us just now?" Ian asked.

"No, I don't," I replied simply, "I think it was an exercise in fear and power."

"Yes, but for some reason your minds remained unaffected by the Sensorites' influence," Carol added.

"Well, there's an easy explanation for that," Terna piped up, "My mind's like a well-barricaded fortress. Not even some of the strongest forces in the universe would be able to penetrate it. As for the Doctor and Susan, to a certain extent, they too have a better resistance to psychic afflictions."

"You speak as if you were not human," Maitland said to her.

"I'm not."

"But what about Barbara and me?" Ian inquired of me.

"Well, you found a way to resist them," I surmised before gesturing to Maitland, "As for Maitland here, his power to resist was taken from him."

"I was afraid," the captain admitted.

"You weren't afraid," Terna asserted, "They'd just made you hopless."

"Yes, they're dangerous and cunning these people, but that's not all," I mused, "There's something very strange here: they can control, they can frighten, and yet they don't try to kill you. Furthermore, they feed you and keep you alive."

"My theory is still valid," Terna declared.

"Terna, shut up," I hissed.

"All the same, talking about food make's me glad we're about to eat," Ian announced, before turning to Barbara and Susan sitting behind us around a small cooking device that resembled a bunson burner, "How's it coming?" he asked them.

"All right. Be ready in a minute," Barbara replied.

"Iron rations a la carte," Susan added with a grin.

"Well, from the size of our stocks, there was no doubt they'd been giving us some of our own food," Carol said to me.

"What about water?" Barbara asked her.

"Down there on the right," the other woman gestured vaguely along the row of cabinets behind us.

"Right, we'll find it," Barbara announced, getting to her feet with Susan following them.

"Tell me, have either of you ever met these creatures or seen them?" I asked the two astronauts.

Carol and Maitland exchanged a knowing glance. The former dropped her eyes, "John has."

"He's the other member of the crew you mentioned," Ian recalled.

"Yes, our mineralogist," Maitland replied.

"I'd like to have a talk with him," I said to him.

"I'm afraid that's out of the question."

"Oh, and why is that?" I demanded.

Maitland and Carol exchanged another glance, "I'd rather not talk about it," he whispered.

"But don't you see? John might give us some valuable information," Ian insisted.

"You can't see him," Carol snapped.

I raised an eyebrow, surprised at her outburst.

"You're both being rather secretive," Terna mused, twisting her Omni-Vice through her fingers.

Maitland glared at her, but said nothing more.

Ian sighed, glancing around as he tucked his hands into his pockets. "Where are the others?"

I looked about us as well and saw that both Susan and Barbara were nowhere in sight.

"Yes, where have those two gotten to?"

"Perhaps they went through that door over there," Terna suggested, pointing to a sliding door built from the wall in the corner, obviously leading further into the ship.

At her words, Carol shrieked and Maitland jumped to his feet; dashing over to the door, he began frantically waving his hand in front of the opening mechanism.

"We should have warned them," Carol cried.

"Yes, you very well should have. What the hell is going on?" Terna snapped as she, Ian, and I joined them at the door.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Ian demanded.

"They door's been locked from the other side," Carol explained as Maitland slammed his fist against the door in frustration. "We must get them out; they're in danger."

"Danger? From what?" I exclaimed, feeling a burst of fear at the base of my throat.

_Susan…_

Neither Carol or Maitland responded.  
"It's no use, we have to get in from the other side," the latter said to thre former before they both scrambled to the other end of the bridge, Ian and I close behind them.

We came to a second, identical door, which Maitland opened with ease.  
"Come on," he said to us as we all sprinted down the hall, coming up to a third door. "This is the other way in," the captain continued before waving his hand across the opening mechanism. The door didn't budge.

"Oh, it's no use. The ray's been jammed from the other side."

"I'm sorry, Ian. There's nothing we can do," Maitland said to the other human man.

"But what is it? What's going on inside there?" Ian demanded.

"It's no use. No use," Maitland cried.

"Would you cease your pessimistic simperings for five minutes and explain yourself?" Terna snapped, grabbing his arm and shaking him roughly.

At that moment, Ian lunged forward in an attempt to break down the door.

"No! No, please. Don't!" Carol cried as Maitland wrestled free from Terna's grasp and pulled Ian away from the door.

The Lyall looked at the captain sharply, "Are there Sensorites in there?"

"No," Carol replied quietly. I could see tears pooling in her eyes, "John is. The third member of our crew."

"What are you two so afraid of?" I asked her.

"John's in there with your friends," Carol explained, her voice thick. "He and I…we were going to get married when we got back to Earth. The Sensorites attacked him far worse than Captain Maitland and me. I couldn't do anything; I had to sit there and watch him get worse and worse," She stopped momentarily, almost overcome, "The last time I saw him, he didn't even know my name."

"You mean, they've taken over his mind?" Ian asked.

"They've _broken _his mind," Carol asserted, choking back a sob.

"So now he's a danger to Babara and Susan?" Terna added.

Carol nodded, pursing her lips, "He'll be frightened of strangers; he may become violent."

At that moment, Maitland pushed by me, carrying some kind of sonic device and immediately got to work on the door.

Ian watched in astonishment. "Where's the power coming from?"

"Electromagnectics," the other man replied. "We should be through to the locks very soon." The device continued to hum.

I tapped my fingers against my thigh in agitation. The drone of the device felt like it was drilling into my skull.

"You say you haven't seen John for months?" Ian asked Carol.

"He became dangerous after the Sensorites broke his mind."

"Can't you go faster?" I demanded of Maitland, who was still drilling away, "Susan's in there."

"It won't be long now," he insisted.

"Doctor," Terna suddenly cried at the same time Maitland froze where he stood.

"What's the matter with you," I exclaimed, exasperated, "Get on with it."

"Don't you hear it?" Maitland hissed.

"Hear what?" I snapped, just as Terna grabbed my arm.

"Doctor," she hissed again.

And then I heard it. It was some kind of high-pitched whine, a ringing sound like the noise that lingers in your ears after a great explosion.

"What is that?" Ian whispered.

"Sensorites," Maitland replied.

"They must be near," Carol added, "That nosie is caused by the machines that carry them through space."

"Carol, get back to your instruments," Maitland ordered her. The young woman nodded and scrambled back to her seat. "Doctor," the captain then turned to me, "Can you take the controller's seat?"

"Anything but this awful waiting," I grumbled, heading back over to the main computer.

"But what about Barbara and Susan?" Ian demanded as Maitland followed me.

"There's no time for that now," he replied distractedly, taking his place beside me as I sat in the captain's chair, "Look for glowing lights moving about the ship."

"Are they going to attack us?" Terna asked, brandishing her magnifying glass.

"No," Maitland asserted, "At least not in the normal sense."

"Then how do we defend ourselves?" the Lyall demanded.

"You'll find out soon enough," the captain replied, "Now look out there."

We all turned our attention to the large window, mostly obscured by the pale orb of the Sense-Sphere. We looked on in silence for a few moments before a strange set of lights slowly drifted into our vision.

"Look! There they are," Maitland cried, pointing to two curious, pill shaped devices steadily drifting towards us. They glowed like a pair of moons, streaking across the darkness like falling stars.

"They look miles away," Ian observed.

"It won't take them long to get here," Maitland insisted.

"How long then?" Terna asked.

"It didn't take them long last time," I reminded her, "When they made the journey before to steal the lock off the TARDIS."

"Yes, they probably took it back to their own planet," Ian mused.

"And now they're coming back," Terna added as the lights drew steadily closer towards our own marooned, completely defenseless craft.

"Yes, and with what orders?" I wondered aloud. "To take over our minds or to kill us?"

"Should we try moving?" Ian asked Maitland.

"Where to?" the captain shot back, "We can't leave this area of space, remember?"

"All the same, we could at least-" Ian started, but Maitland cut him off.

"If we were going to be destroyed, the Sensorites would have done it a long time ago, instead of dragging it out over these last four years."

"He does have a point," Terna agreed. "I just wish I knew why we were being kept here, all of us."

"Wouldn't we all?" I agreed grimly. "But I do think Terna and Maitland are right. If the Sensorites intended us any real harm, I doubt any of us would be standing here taking right now."

"Yeah, but if that collision course gag was their idea of a joke, I'd hate to be one of their enemies," Ian spat bitterly.

"They wouldn't really try to crash us," Carol added thickly, "They just keep playing this game of nerves."

"What was that noise?" Terna suddenly cried.

I clapped a hand over my ears as a blast of what sounded like radio feed-back bombarded against them. "I heard that one."

"They've landed," Maitland whispered.

"They're on the ship!" Ian cried.  
Terna slapped his arm to silence him.

"Interference on all our scanners," Carol announced. I glanced down to see all the screens fill with static.

I sat there, feeling as though there was a great pressure suddenly all around us, closing in from all sides, like slowly being drowned.  
_Get a hold of yourself, _I inwardly scolded, shaking my head.

From behind me, Terna placed a hand on the back of my chair. "I can sense them all around us."

"Doctor," Ian hissed.

I didn't answer him right away as I reached up to squeeze Terna's fingers.

"Doctor," Ian said a little louder.

I glanced up to see him standing in front of the computer facing the window. His whole body rigid, frozen in fear, as his eyes stared unblinking towards something just outside.

I followed his gaze just in time to see a bulbous-headed humanoid creature with huge, black eyes gazing at us from outside the ship.

()()()

Terna screamed. I grabbed her arm to silence her. I glanced at Ian out of the corner of my eye.  
"Steady, Chesterton, steady. The calmer you are, the stronger."

Ian swallowed hard before turning and slowly walking back over to me, Terna, and the other two. He glanced at the latter, and his eye widened in shock.

"Doctor, look at them!" he cried, rushing over to Carol. I turned to Maitland to see he was sitting completely still, as though he were a statue, eyes staring straight ahead unblinkingly. One glance at Carol told me she was the same.

"Maitland. Maitland! Can you hear me?" Ian cried, shaking him.

The other man didn't respond.

"His fear has loosened his mind and made it susceptible to the Sensorites' control," Terna explained. "Doctor, that thing's still out there," she added, glancing at the Sensorite peering at us through the window.

"Oh, ignore it," I replied dimissevly before turning back to Maitland. "Maitland!" I cried before smacking him hard across the face.

Instantly, the man snapped back, staring around with wide, petrified eyes. "What? What is it? What's happened?"

"Now listen here, my boy," I said to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and turning him towards me, so I could look him in the eye, "There's work to be done, remember?"

"Work?" Maitland slurred, blinking hard as he tried to recall himself.

"Yes, a door to be opened," I urged. "Danger on the other side. Remember?"

Maitland's eyes widened. "John! We must get the girl's out."

"Good. Good!" I exclaimed, relieved the man had come 'round. "Now, let's get going."

The captain then jumped up and hurried back over to the door. "I'll have to use the cutter," he announced.

"Oh, not again," Ian groaned. "How long will this take?"

"It's the only way," Maitland insisted as he got back to drilling.

"Yes, I know," Ian exclaimed with a sigh. "I'm just so worried about Barbara and Susan."

"Try and calm your mind, my boy," I urged him. "If you allow yourself to panic, you'll be suseptible to control, like Maitland and Carol."

From beside me, Terna suddenly grabbed my arm. "The Sensorites are in the ship now."

"What?" Ian cried.

"I really hope they don't try to eat us."

"Terna, please," I exclaimed just as Carol approached us.

"How would the Sensorites enter the ship?" Ian asked her.

"Through the loading bay."

"That isn't where Barbara and Susan are now, is it?" Terna demanded.

"No. But John's with them, and the Sensorites have control over his mind," Carol replied, "We must get to them as quickly as possible."

"Nobody's arguing there," Ian grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck impatiently. "How's it coming?" he added to Maitland, still hard at work.

"Slowly, but its working," he replied.

"If only we knew what was happening on the other side of that door," the other man exclaimed in exasperation.

The minutes ticked by; Ian anxiously paced the length of the bridge while Maitland drilled away. I tapped my fingers against my wrist to the beat of my twin heartbeats ramming against my rib cage.  
_How much longer._

I felt Terna tense beside me.  
"The Sensorites?" I asked her.

She nodded, licking her dry lips. "They're closing in on us."

At that moment, Maitland finished his drilling. He went to lift the hatch, but it got stuck only a few inches up. "Oh, it's jammed; I'll have to cut the whole thing out," he exclaimed.

"There's no time for that," Ian asserted. "I'll give you a hand." He then rushed forward, and he and Maitland both grabbed an end of the door. "Ready?"

They lifted as one, and the door finally opened. Both men rushed into the hall beyond, Terna and I close behind.

What we found was a most distressing sight indeed. Barbara was sitting on the ground holding an unconscious Susan in her arms. A ragged man with a lined, weary face and steadily greying hair was curled up beside her, whimpering as he clutched his head.  
John, I assumed, but I paid him no mind as I rushed over to my granddaughter, lying limp in Barbara's arms, Terna close behind me.

()()()

"Yes, it might be possible for Susan's thoughts to reach out to the Sensorites," I mused thoughtfully.

Barbara had just finished recapping what had happened to her and Susan while they were trapped in the hall with John. Apparently, the Sensorites were attempting to make John hurt them before my granddaughter broke their influence over the man by way of her own psychic energies. This was, of course, what caused her to collapse as the strain had simply been too much.

"But does that mean we can resist them?" Carol inquired of me.

"It's certainly possible, my dear," I replied thoughtfully. "However, Susan happens to be of a blood line upon our home world which possessed great psychic abilities. Said abilities were almost their down fall for one of her ancestors in particular…Oh, but that's a long story."

I didn't need to get into that now. They didn't need to know about Rassilon.

"Now, that friend of yours: John. We must look after him."

"Well, Barbara's tending to him now; he's sleeping peacefully now," Carol reassured me. "The first time in months."

"Hmm, perhaps Susan released the pressure on his brain," I wondered aloud.

I glanced across the room where my granddaughter was sitting in a chair, having awoken from her initial collapse. She still didn't seem entirely herself, as she was rather quiet and pale. Terna was crouched beside her, handing her a glass of water and talking with her in a low tone.

I strode over to them, "How is she?"

"She says she heard a million voices in her head," the Lyall replied.

I looked down at my granddaughter as Terna continued on, "She allowed herself to enter the psychic field in which all Sensorite are a part: living as one and yet many. That sudden rush of information, we're lucky her mind didn't burn."

"Grandfather," Susan called to me quietly. I felt my expression soften somewhat when I glanced down and saw her looking up at me with her big, beautiful brown eyes.

Gallifreyan eyes…

"That was a very foolish thing to do, Susan," I scolded her lightly, sitting down on the chair opposite her. "The only reason the Sensorites did not harm you was because you were strong willed and not afraid of them."

"Doctor, I had known that Gallifreyans possessed some forms of psychic abilities, but they've always been very latent and weak," Terna piped up, gesturing to Susan. "I've never seen anything like this short of my own people."

"Yes, well, it is as Susan said: she is from a very ancient and very powerful Time Lord bloodline." I turned back to my granddaughter, "Are you feeling better, child?"

"Yes," Susan replied, nodding weakly. "I'm just glad I was able to help. How's John?"

"He's resting now," Maitland called as he came up behind us. Despite the now much calmer state of his fellow crewman, he still looked quite distressed, "Did you see his hair?" he whispered to us, "It was almost white."

Excuse me?

"There's nothing wrong with that," I snapped indignantly.

"Yes, but on a man of thirty, Doctor?" Maitland insisted. "Why does he look so old? Why have the Sensorites done this to him; what do they want from us?"

"I couldn't tell you," I replied grimly.

"Why don't we ask them?" Terna offered. I looked at her in surprise. "Oh come on, none of us have had any direct contact with these things. All they do is shout and scare from the shadows," the Lyall insisted. "I think it's high time we met them on a more even playing field."

"What do you suggest? Direct contact?" I asked her.

"Of course," Terna replied. "Listen, the Sensorites would have no effect on me. My mind is like a gigantic web, if you tried to probe it, you'd get lost in it. Let me confront them; I'll demand to know they're motives and, if they refuse to tell me then, well, they may not have an effect on me, but I'll have an effect on them."

"No, you mustn't do that!" Susan suddenly cried, grabbing Terna's arm.

We both looked at her in surprise. "And why not?" the Lyall Queen demanded. "These things have tormented us long enough, don't you think it's time for a little payback?"

"But don't you see? They're afraid," Susan persisted. "When I connected with them, all those voices, all those hundreds of Sensorites, the one thing that I felt constantly was fear. They're afraid of us."

"Why?" Terna demanded.

"I don't know," Susan replied, shaking her head.

I turned to Maitland, "Can you think of any reason why the Sensorites would come to fear you."

"No, of course not," the captain replied. "We hadn't even landed on the planet before this whole mess started. Like you, we've never had direct contact with these people."

"Then what reason would they have to fear us so greatly," I mused to myself.

At that moment, Ian entered. "John muttered something just now before he passed out," he informed us, "It sounded something like 'the dreams of avarice'."

"What does that mean?" Terna demanded.

"Well, on Earth we have a saying: rich beyond the dreams of avarice. Doctor, I think John discovered something. That's why he got the worst of their psychic attacks."

"Of course! He's the ship's meteorologist," Terna exclaimed.

"You see? It makes sense," Ian urged. "All his mumblings about riches: I think he must have discovered something the Sensorites wanted to keep secret, so they silenced him and kept all of you prisoners above their planet."

"Yes, and now they're doing the same to us," I murmured, "We must get that lock to the TARDIS back."

"I still vote we talk to them," Terna pressed.

I looked at her. "Oh, alright, but we mustn't resort to violence. Now, do you think I could see John's instruments?" I asked Maitland.

"Of course."

()()()

We were lead into John's quarters aboard the ship; we crowded inside one of the rooms, in the middle of which was a machine that looked something like a sundial with a old fashioned video camera on top.

"One spectroscope, Doctor," Maitland announced.

"So I see," I replied, walking closer to the machine and leaning in to examine it further.

"I do remember, when this whole thing started, John was beginning to take a reading," Carol recalled.

"Then I'm right," Ian proclaimed.

"Quite possibly," I agreed, passing him a graph from the machine, "Would you mind taking a look at this?"

Ian obliged: keenly examining the sheet I'd given him. "There's nothing much here: just a bunch of ordinary things," he declared, "Oxygen, hydrogen, sodium."

"What is this thing?" Terna inquired of the machine.

"It's a spectrograph. See these lines?" Ian explained, showing her the pattern on the paper, "They represent emission wavelengths."

"Oh, I see…Sort of."

"No, there certainly isn't anything special indicated on this, Doctor," Ian added to me.

I nodded, half-distracted, as I flipped through a notebook, "I don't understand it. There must be a clue somewhere."

"I know what you mean," Maitland agreed, "But I've looked through it many times before and there's never been anything out of the ordinary. The Sense-Sphere is just a typical planet with a slightly bigger land mass than usual. That's all."

"Well, they have discovered thought-transferance," Susan reminded him.

"Yes, and when John discovered something, whatever it was; he became so excited that his mind opened up to the Sensorites, broadcasting his thoughts to the entire planet," Terna added.

I was only half-listening to their conversation as I continued to intensely study the spectrograph readings. Suddenly, something flashed in the corner of my vision; my eyes widened.

_Of course…_

"Yes!" I exclaimed, making everyone around me jump. "What was that you said, Chesteron? Rich beyond the dreams of avarice? Yes, of course. I know what he found."

"What?" Susan asked.

"Molybdenum," I replied simply, "It's here in the graph, but it's mixed up with all these other elements, so it doesn't make a clear reading."

"Molybednum?" Ian asked.

"It's a substance that resists very high temperatures," Maitland explained.

Yes. It's used as an alloy in steel. In fact this machine would be useless without it," I added, "Now let me see…" I paused, trying to think, "Iron melts at…What was it again?"

"One thousand five hundred and thirty nine degrees centigrade," Terna suddenly piped up.

I started, staring at her in shock.

"What?"

"Nothing, you're right. And molybdenum melts at two thousand six hundred and twenty two degrees centigrade. Yes, I see now just what John found. No wonder he was excited. Yes, that planet must be full of it. Full of it! It's a veritable gold mine!"

Suddenly, both Carol and Maitland cried out, clutching at their heads.

"The Sensorites!" Terna cried.

"They're here, on the ship," Susan whispered, closing her eyes. Silently, I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, Barbara; let's find them," Ian said to her.

"Wait for me," Terna added, brandishing her magnifying glass and hurrying after them.

"Terna wait," I called after her, grabbing her arm to stop her. "Don't do anything foolish," I urged when she turned to look at me.

Terna scowled, but said nothing as she pulled her hand from my grip and took off after the two humans.

Susan and I, meanwhile, helped Carol and Maitland back into the main bridge, both of whom remained relatively unresponsive for quite a few minutes.

"The Sensorites know we are not afraid," Susan whispered as I tried to bring Maitland around, "Fear is their only weapon; I don't know what they will do to us now."

"Don't worry, Susan," I tried to reassure her. "If they were going to kill us, they would have done it already. You said it yourself, they are not hostile towards us; they are simply trying to protect their planet."

At that moment, Maitland seemed to come 'round.  
"Doctor?" he whispered.

"Maitland, are you alright?" I asked.

"Yes, it's beginning to clear."

"What about you, Carol?" Susan inquired of the woman.

"Yes, I think so. I'm just not sure what happened."

Suddenly, Ian rushed through the door, Babara and Terna close behind helping a weary John along.

"Bolt the door, John," Barbara urged him, and he hesitantly obliged.

"What happened?" I demanded of Ian.

"The Sensorites didn't attack us," Terna answered for him, "Susan was right; they are afraid. They took one look into my mind and just about lost it where they stood."

"It seems these creatures are rather timid," Babara added as she and Carol helped John into a chair.

"This is all very well, but I think we should try communicating with them again," I declared.

"Are you two feeling better?" Ian asked of Carol and Maitland.

"Much better," the latter replied.

From beside me, Susan suddenly jumped. "Yes, but they won't agree to that."

"Agree? Agree to what? What are you talking about?" I demanded of her.

"I'm sure they'll talk to you about it," the girl continued, ignoring me completely.

"Susan, have you made contact with the Sensorites again?" Terna asked.

Contact? They weren't going to try and control her. Could they? They better not try…

"Susan, what are they asking?" Terna pressed.

"They want to talk to us," Susan finally addressed us again.

"Well, of course we'll talk to them," I exclaimed, "But they have to agree not to harm us."

"Of course," Susan replied.

"And if they do try anything, we'll fight back," Terna added.

Susan closed her eyes; I guessed she was relaying our message over to the creatures on the other side of the door.

No sooner had she reopened her eyes, the door suddenly opened, and two beings stepped into the room. They were short, stalky little things with incredibly flat feet, almost like flippers. They had large, egg-shaped, flesh-colored heads with coarse white beards growing upward against their face to cover their mouths.  
Their eyes were half the size of their face and completely black, shining like jewels.  
The two Sensorites were dressed identical: each in a grey jumpsuit and both had what almost looked like a stethoscope dangling from their necks. One was also carrying a device that had obviously been used to unlock the door.

As soon as they entered, John started screaming to the point that no one could even hear themselves think, so Carol had to quickly usher her hysterical fiancée out of the room.

The two Sensorites stood before us, the one on the left leaned in to whisper something to the one on the right:  
"Which one is the Doctor?" Sensorite 1 asked.

"The one with the white hair," Sesnorite 2 replied.

"Speak up. I can't hear you," I snapped at them.

The two Sensorites jumped in alarm, "We were speaking to eachother," Sensorite 1 urged.

"What is it you want from us?" I demanded, "Why do you torment these people? Why do you not let them go back to their home?"

"None of you can ever leave this area of space," Sensorite 2 insisted.

"Why not?" Ian cried.

"You know the answer to that," Sensorite 1 replied.

"Molybdenum," Terna reminded him.

"We are not interested in that," Ian said to the Sensorites.

"So you say, but once before we trusted Earth men, to our cost," Sensorite 1 explained.

"So humans have visited the Sense-Sphere before," I infered.

"Yes, and they caused us a terrible affliction," Sensorite 2 added. "We shall not allow it to happen again."

"So you expect us to just drift around space forever?!" Maitland cried.

"No, you shall all come back with us," Sensorite 1 replied calmly. "A special area is being prepared for you on our planet. There you will stay, and there you will be looked after."

"No we shall not!" Terna snapped. "How could we possibly agree to that?"

"You will agree because you have no choice," Sensorite 1 replied. "We will take you down to the Sense-Sphere. We do not wish to harm you in any way."

"And we do not wish to harm you," Ian replied calmly, "But we shall not agree to your orders, and we politely ask that you get off this ship."

"What if we refuse?" Sensorite 2 asked.

"Then we will attack you," Terna replied, brandishing her Omni-Vice.

The Sensorites took a noticeable step back.

"Now listen to me," I interjected, placing a hand before Terna to stop her before turning to the two Sensorites, "You have taken the lock on my ship; I want it back."

"You're in no position to make threats," Sensorite 1 urged.

"I do not make threats," I replied calmly, "But I do make promises, and I promise more trouble then you bargain for if you do not return my property!"

I raised my voice, and the Sensorites recoiled again. I arched an eyebrow at their response.

"We must discuss this further," Sensorite 2 declared when they had recovered. With that, they stepped back through the door, and it shut behind them.

"What do they need to talk about?" Ian demanded once they'd left.

"Regroup perhaps?" Terna offered, "Discussing a different point of attack."

"We must be careful; they might try to take control of our minds," Barbara urged.

I was only half-listening as I turned over the general appearance of the Sensorites in my mind; this was the first time I'd seen them clearly since one of them appeared in the window, and their were several things of note about their physical features that might be of use to us.

"They're not invinicible…Did anyone notice the peculiar nature in there eyes?" I asked aloud, causing everyone else to look at me like I was crazy.

A common reaction.

"No, I can't say I did," Maitland finally replied.

"What are you on about?" Terna asked.

I pressed a finger to my lips, momentarily thinking on how to phrase this. "It's a fallacy, of course, that cats can see in the dark," I began, "They can't. But they can see better than humans, because the iris of their eyes dilates at night. Yes?"

"What are you driving at?" Ian inquired.

"Well, by that logic, I can deduce that a Sensorite's eyes are the complete opposite to a cat's," I explained. "The Sensorite's eyes were completely dilated in light."

"So, they would contract in darkness," Terna concluded.

"Exactly," I exclaimed, "And that is our weapon against them: the Sensorites will be afraid of the dark."

"How do you know they'll be frightened in the dark?" Babara asked.

Isn't that question a little obvious?

"My dear Babara, wouldn't you be afraid if you couldn't see your enemies?"

"It's a sound theory," Terna declared, "I think we should give it a whirl."

"…Don't want to go." I whirled around to see Susan facing the door, her hands clasped around her head as she squeezed her eyes very tightly shut.

"What was that, Susan?" I asked.

"They're…talking again," she whispered.

"What are they saying?" Terna inquired.

"Shh! I can't hear them very well," Susan hissed. "There, that's better," she added after we all fell silent.

"Well, what's the message?" I demanded impatiently. I couldn't stand the idea of those grotesque things in my granddaughter's head. If they tried to take her over so help me, I'll…

"Oh, alright. But the others mustn't be harmed," Susan was saying.

"Susan, what is it?" I cried as my granddaughter reopened her eyes and turned to face us.

"I'm sorry, Grandfather; it's the only way."

"What are you talking about?" I exclaimed as the doors opened behind her, and the two Sensorites reentered the room.

"They knew I'd agree," Susan whispered.

"Agree? Agree to what?"

"To go down with them to their planet," Susan replied as one of the Sensorites took her arm and began to lead her back over the threshold.

I started forward. Terna held me back at the same time one of the Sensorites called to me:

"Don't move."

"Please, don't resist," Susan begged. "Otherwise, you'll all be killed."

She then turned and followed the Sensorites without resistance as the doors shut behind them.

"Susan!" I cried, panic burning through me as I broke free of Terna's grip and rushed up to the door.

"She can't go with them," Barbara exclaimed, coming up behind me.

"You can't resist them," Maitland urged.

"We can try," Ian shot back.

"They'll kill you," the captain pressed.

"And if we just sit here, they could kill her!" I shouted before pounding on the door. "Open this door now!"

Maitland shook his head. "I can't. The Sensorites will have blocked the opening mechanism; they always do."

"Damn it!" I slammed my fist against the door again.

"Doctor." Behind me, I felt Terna grip my arm. "Instead of standing here screaming, why don't we test that theory of yours, about the Sensorites being afraid of the dark?"

I looked at her, my anger momentarily softening afte a few seconds. "Very well. It's our best chance."

"Right. Barbara and I will distract them; Maitland, help me," Ian added to the captain before they both took hold of the door and slowly lifted it up manually.

"Susan?"

"Don't interfere," I heard my granddaughter call as Ian and Barbara stepped into the hallway.

I rushed after them.  
"Do not come any nearer," Sensorite 1 called to me. "The young girl has agreed to come with us; she will not be harmed."

"Susan cannot go with you," Barbara urged just as Ian started forward.

"Don't move!" Sensorite 2 cried.

"We don't wish to fight you," Ian reassured them, "We aren't carrying any weapons. We just want to talk."

"Strangers from other planets always say they want to talk, but all they do is destroy."

"Please, I have to go with them," Susan pleaded. "It's because I can use telepathy that they trust me."

"You're not going with them, Susan, and that's final," Barbara declared.

"Why not?" the girl demanded, "It's suspiscion that's making us enemies. You don't understand the Sensorites like I do."

"You think I don't understand?" I said coldly. "Trust is a two-sided affair. Now come here."

I took another step closer; one of the Sensorites raised his weapon which looked a bit like a tennis racket.

"You're putting us all in danger!" Susan cried.

"If you go with them, they will have all the advantage," I pressed.

"They only want to talk to me," my granddaughter insisted.

I was beginning to get exasperated. "I'm sorry, Susan, but I don't believe you have the ability to represent us."

"Stop treating me like a child," the girl cried.

"Susan, come here!" I ordered.

"I can't."

"This instant!" I thundrered.

My granddaughter wilted, her lower lip trembling as she slowly shuffled forward.

"Good," I touched her shoulder reassuringly before ushering her back onto the bridge, "Go wait with Maitland; I want to talk to you."

Mutely, Susan obeyed.

I turned back to the Sensorites.

"We must stun them with the hand rays," the first was whispering to the second.

"Now, Terna!" I called.

The Lyall Queen, who had held back in the bridge with her finger on the light switch suddenly flicked it, and the entire ship was plunged into darkness.

As the blackness closed in around us, I could hearing the Sensorites shrieking and flailing about.

"You're right, Doctor. They are helpless in the dark," Ian cried.

The human man then reached forward, fumbling as his eyes adjusted and picked up the bizarre devices the Sensorites had been carrying, dropped on the floor in their panic.

"Give us back the light," I heard one of the Sensorites whimper.

"The light…The light! I'm afraid; please, stop this," the second one pleaded.

"Put the light back on, Terna," I called to the Lyall, who obliged.

When the darkness dissipated, we found the Sensorites curled on the floor, trembling. They glanced up as the lights came back on, their huge dark eyes not unlike those belonging to a cornered mouse.

"You see? We have power over you," I said to them, "But we don't intend to use it unless it is in defense."

"What do you want?" Sensorite 1 whispered.

"Nothing that isn't ours," I replied. "The lock to my ship returned immediately and the freedom of Maitland and his fellow crew."

Sensorite 1 seemed to ponder this. "I must speak with the Elders on the Sense-Sphere and await new orders."

He then pressed the stethoscope device to his forehead. I felt the faint pulse of psychic energy as he connected his mind with that of the others of his kind on the planet below.

"Well?" I demanded after a few moments.

"You must be patient," Sensorite 2 insisted.

"He's relaying the information across several miles, Doctor; it will take a moment," Terna called from behind me.

I gritted my teeth, "Fine. If they try anything, put the light out again," I told her as I stalked back into the bridge.

I can't believe this! Dictated to by petty thieves and my own grandchild.

Speaking of which, I found Susan sitting by herself in the corner of the bridge. As I approached closer, I saw that her eyes were stained from crying.

I tried to not let my resolve crumble as I came up to her. She looked up at me, sniffing heavily.  
"What is all this? Setting yourself against me, hmm?" I asked her.

"I wasn't trying to do that," Susan insisted.

My expression softened somewhat, "I know that you thought you were doing what is right in these circumstances, but don't you think I'm a better judge of that?"

"I have opinions too," she grumbled miserably.

"My dear, the whole point of growing up is to attain wisdom and to help other people," I tried to explain.

Susan glared at me, "So I'm to be treated like a silly little child?"

"If you act like one, yes," I replied.

"Grandfather, I understand the Sensorites; they are a timid little people, afraid of you, Ian, Barbara, Maitland and his crew, and they're terrified of Terna, so because I can communicate with them using telepathy, they trust me."

"And that is an advantage we'll utilize," I assured her, "But as a group; you shouldn't make decisions on your own. Now do you understand me?"

Susan didn't answer. "Do you understand me?"

She shook her head. "Look, I'm not saying I'm as clever as you, of course I'm not, but I won't be pushed aside. I'm not a child anymore, Grandfather."

I looked at Susan, really looked at her. She was right; I wouldn't have admitted it then, but she was right. She was a young woman: full of confidence and ideas. She wasn't that small, frightened little girl they'd lead into the lobby and introduced us all those decades ago.

It felt like a lifetime away.  
"Oh, Susan…" I started, but the approaching Sensorites cut me off.

"Why do you make her unhappy?" Sensorite 1 demanded.

"We can sense the misery in her mind," his companion added.

I shot them a murderous glare, "Yes, and it's a good thing you can't read the anger in mine. In all the years Susan and I have traveled together, we've never had an argument, and now you've caused one."

"Somehow I find that hard to believe," Terna declared, approaching us as well. "What do you say we put this matter to rest and focus on getting the lock to the TARDIS back?"

I scowled at her, but eventually relented. As did, Susan.

"I'm sorry, Grandfather."

I looked at her, a sigh escaping my lips. "So am I; I shouldn't have shouted."

"We have orders from the First Elder," Sensorite 1 announced.

"Who?" I asked.

"Their ruler, I think," Terna replied.

"He says we are to listen to you and transmit your words to him," Sensorite 2 added.

"I would much prefer talking to him face to face," I declared.

The two Sensorites exchanged an uncertain glance.

"Tell your First Elder we are not pirates or plunderers; there is only one thing we desire from him and that is our freedom."

()()()

Eventually, we managed to come to a decision: the Sensorites agreed to let me, Ian, Terna, and Susan go down to their world to meet with the First Elder as long as Barbara and Maitland stayed behind on the ship as leverage.  
They also agreed to allow John and Carol to accompany us so that John's mind could be repaired.

"You can really do something for John?" Barbara exclaimed.

"Yes, in time," Sensorite 1 replied.

"And how long will that be?" Ian demanded, "How long will Barbara and Maitland have to wait up here?"

"We do not know," Sensorite 2 answered, "But we cannot trust you without some safeguard."

"Ian, I don't mind splitting up," Barbara reassured him.

"I do; it always leads to trouble," the man replied.

"We cannot offer any other arrangement," Sesnorite 1 declared.

Ian sighed, finally relenting. "Alright."

"It'll be alright, Ian," Barbara reassured him. "I promise."

Ian smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I know."

With that, the human woman left to go help Carol with John. Ian then turned to the Sensorites, "So, how do we get down to the Sense-Sphere?"

"A craft is being prepared for you," Sensorite 2 replied.

"Before we make this journey," I then interjected, "One or two questions."

"We have time," Sensorite 2 said to 1 before the latter could place this stethoscope device to his forehead.

"These discs you wear around your neck, you press them to your forehead and you can communicate telepathically, yes?"

"Yes, otherwise we communicate as you do," Sensorite 1 replied.

I looked towards Terna. "Ever see anything like this before?"

"Yeah, occasionally. Obvoiusly, people that are time-bound require assistance in moving throughout the astral plane. Unbridled telepathic communication is only successful from those of Outer-Time like myself."

"Right." I turned back to the Sensorites, "So then, with these devices, you used your telepathy to torture the minds of John and the others, hmm?"

The Sensorites shrank back, cowering under the look I was giving them.  
"Grandfather, don't antagonize them," Susan urged.

"I merely want to know why they attacked Maitland and the others," I replied simply.

"Ten years ago, five Earth men came to our planet; our people welcomed them. Although their minds were closed, we sensed they thought our planet a rich one."

"What happened?" I asked.

"The five men fought amongst themselves, then two of them tried to take off in the ship, and it exploded in the atmosphere."

"What happened to the other three?" Terna inquired.

"We suspect they hid themselves aboard and fought the other two for control. Anyway, all were killed."

Terna and I exchanged a glance. What a dismal story.

Ian, who had been listening, suddenly walked over. "But that still doesn't explain why you attacked Maitland and the others."

"Ever since that day the Earth men came and their ship exploded in the sky, our people have been dying in the hundreds."

"You mean, the humans brought some kind of disease?" Terna exclaimed.

"What? Like scarlet fever or something?" Ian added.

"Perhaps," I mused thoughtfully.

"Hold on, why would you allow us to visit your planet if the last people you encountered made you sick?" Ian demanded.

"The First Elder told us that he senses a great knowledge in you people," Sensorite 2 replied.

"Ah, I see," I exclaimed with a chuckle, giving Terna and Ian a knowing smile. "So, it's a bargain then, is that it? Our freedom for a cure?"

"I see that you are indeed clever," Sensorite 2 said to me.

"The craft is approaching," Sensorite 1 announced, the device still pressed to his forehead.

"I really don't like the idea of going down there into the heart of this mess," Ian mused, "But I suppose it will be all worth it if we can get the TARDIS back."

"Let's hope we can strike a compromise of sorts with these people," Terna agreed.

"I will need you assistance with that, if you don't mind," I added to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Terna blinked, "Me?"

"Of course. Do not think I haven't noticed; the words of a queen can be quite powerful."

Just then, Barbara entered, helping Carol carry John, who had been sedated and couldn't walk, along towards the loading bay.

"Well, my dear, as reluctant as I am to leave you, I'm afraid we have no choice," I said to her.

"Don't worry about me; I shall be alright," Barbara replied dismissevly, "I'm more worried about you."

"Oh, we'll manage. Now, let's get going," I added to Terna and the others, and we followed John, Carol, and the Sensorites towards the craft that would take us to the alien world waiting below.

()()()

The planet of the Sensorites was a world of silver and white. A pale, cloudless sky stretched a wide berth across the heavens, vanishing into the light yellow mountains rising from the horizon.  
The captiol city of the Sense-Sphere was a curious layout of buildings that were all sharp edges and points: lean, white structures protruding out from the ground like jagged teeth.

This, coupled with an unusual property of everything seeming to lean slightly to the left, created a most unsettingly visual.

As soon as the craft landed, we parted ways with Carol and John, who were lead away to the medical center, so that the latter's mind could be healed of its trauma.

Terna, Susan, Ian, and myself, meanwhile, were escorted to the Reception Room of the First Elder's estate. As we made our way through a courtyard lined with powder blue plants and a fountain gushing sparkling water, several Sensorites strolled by us, casting curious glances with their large, black eyes.

As I looked at them, I began to come to a startling realization: every Sensorite looked exactly alike. It wasn't just the two we had encountered on the ship; they were all of the same size, shape, and had the same features: all thin and small with big black eyes and tufts of white hair covering their mouths rather than heads. If I didn't know any better, I'd have taken them for a clone race.

"Oi!" Terna cried as one of the passing guards bumped her shoulder in a rather unkindly manner. "If looks could kill," she added as the Sensorite lumbered past.

"Earth people are not popular here," the Sensorite escorting us informed her.

"But I'm not even from the Earth," the Lyall protested. "Geez, talk about guilty by association."

"Is this hostility because your people are dying?" Ian asked our escort, who nodded.

"This disease that is causing your people so much grief is not anyone's fault," I insisted, "Besides, there may very well be a cure."

"Yes, we should explain that to the people," Susan agreed.

"I'm afraid that is out of the question," our escort asserted. "You are forbidden from speaking to those of the lower castes."

I raised an eyebrow. "You have such distinctions here?"

"Yes. How else are we able to tell what each of us is best fitted to do?" the Sensorite replied. "The Elders think and rule, the Warriors fight, the Sensorites work and play."

"You make it sound so simple," I mused.

"All are happy," the Sensorite insisted.

"But some more than others?" Ian asked knowingly.

"I do not understand your implications," the Sensorite replied, "There is no shame in being in any caste. It is simply what each of us is best fitted to do. Now come, the First Elder is waiting."

"My people had a similar system on Eedonya," Terna whispered to me as we were lead out of the courtyard and into the main building. "Each of us was born with varying levels of psychic abilities based on our bloodline, and this determined the best profession for each individual to better our society."

"Putting you on top, of course," I remarked.

"Of course," Terna replied. "The Eternals were, after all, the most powerful of our species."

Eventually we were taken into the reception room which was a light, airy space with walls, floor, and ceilings made entirely of glass. The First Elder was waiting for us, sitting upon a couch made of various furs.

As anticipated, he was identical to the other Sensorites we'd seen, right down to the gray jumpsuit; however, he also wear twin black sashes across his chest: an obvious symbol of his rank.

"Welcome, Earth men," the First Elder rose to his feet as we entered. "I have greatly anticipated this meeting."

"Tell me, will you be able to cure the man known as John?" I asked, cutting right to the chase.

"Yes, our technicians are examining him now," the First Elder replied. "But it will take time."

"All the same, we're thankful for your help," Ian said.

"It still doesn't change the fact that you people are responsible for his condition in the first place," I snapped. "It's utterly disgraceful."

"Please, do not condemn until you know the facts," the First Elder pleaded.

"Facts? What facts?" I demanded, my hands balling into fists.

The First Elder cowered under my words.  
"Grandfather, not so loud," Susan urged.

I looked to her and then back to the trembling Sensorite. For a leader, he wasn't very steadfast; not at all like Terna, who wouldn't be knocked over by a hurricane.  
I guess this timid nature is just a common trait of this species, like pacifism had become for the Thals of Skaro.

Eventually, I relented. "Oh very well."

"Please, sit down," the First Elder offered, gesturing to a table that appeared to be cut with diamond. Four chairs sat around it and a platter of several bowls of fruit and glasses of water was laid out across it.

"You must understand our point of view," the First Elder continued as we all took a seat around the table. "If foreigners visited your planet with the intent to steal, what would you do? Imprison them? Kill them? The man John was like the others who had come to this planet before: he saw that this planet contained a valuable ore, and his excitement opened his mind and broadcasted his intentions out to us."

"You mean the Molybdenum," Terna said.

"Yes, and what we saw in his mind frightened us: images of hundreds of spaceships coming to this planet to bleed it dry, drilling and machines, pollution and noise," the First Elder paused, almost seemingly overwhelmed. "We had no choice but to imprison him and his friends in orbit around the Sense-Sphere."

"Yes, but that's no excuse for driving him out of his mind," I insisted.

"That was not intentional," the First Elder retorted. "It was only because his mind was so open that he lost his senses. While the others merely slept, he received the full strength of our voices in his brain. Stop! Do not drink," he suddenly cried as Ian was about to take sip of the water before us.  
"Why do you offer insult to our guests?" the First Elder rounded on a servant Sensorite standing in the corner. "Why do you not give them the same food and drink that I am given? Who ordered this? The City Administrator?"

The servant Sensorite nodded mutely.

"You give them the crystal water and take the other kind away at once," the First Elder commanded, and the servant quickly obliged.

"What exactly is the difference?" Ian asked.

"In the yellow mountains that surround this city, I discovered a pure spring. Very unusual on this planet," the First Elder explained, "I believe the water holds special qualities, so I have flagons of it stored for the use of the Elders."

"So, what's the matter with the regular water?" Ian asked, raising the glass he was still holding.

"Nothing, it is very well refined," the First Elder replied. "We are quite proud of our aquaduct; it runs just under the city."

"Well, then I hope you won't mind if I take a drink of this. I'm parched," Ian announced before taking a swig.

"Of course, but you must taste the crystal water," the First Elder urged. "It is very fine; the Elders drink nothing else."

"Vintage water," Terna whispered to me. I chuckled.

"This fruit is delicious," Susan exclaimed, plucking another of the yellow slices from the bowl before us, "It taste like peaches."

At that moment, the servant returned with the crystal water.

"Why do you wear those sashes?" Susan then inquired.

"It is the symbol of my rank as chief leader," the First Elder replied. "I wear two sashes, the Second Elder wears one, and the City Administrators wear collars at their throats."

"And the others?" Susan asked.

"Are content with their similiarities."

"Similiarities is right," I heard Terna mutter into her drink, "I've never seen such a condensed gene pool."

"Would you mind telling us something about-" Ian began, but was cut short by a sudden coughing fit, "I'm sorry, the disease?"

"Yes, do tell us; we might be able to help you," I agreed.

"I intended to. We need help with this calamity," the First Elder replied, "The disease is invisible, and resists all our attempts to stamp it out. It hits all manner of people, irrespective of their tasks."

"Even the Elders?" I asked.

"No."

"Really? Why not?" I wondered aloud.

"I cannot imagine," the First Elder replied, "Perhaps we have merely been fortunate?"

Ian coughed again. I looked at him in surprise.  
"Yes, it, er, might be a clue," I replied distractedly.

"But what we hope, sir, is that if my friends and I succeed where your scientists have failed, that you will return the lock of our ship. It would be a just exchange," Terna declared.

"The lady speaks well," the First Elder observed.

"Yes, she's a fine woman," I agreed. "My dear Chesterton, are you all right?" I asked, seeing Ian was clutching at his throat, looking rather pale.

"My throat…burning," Ian croaked, "I wonder if you could give me a glass of water…Doctor."

I looked to Terna.  
_Oh no_, she mouthed.

Don't tell me…

"Is this a symptom of your disease?" I inquired of the First Elder.

Ian gasped, groaning in pain as he grasped at his throat before falling from his chair and collapsing to the floor.

"Ian!" Susan jumped up and rushed to his side, Terna right behind her. "Grandfather, he's unconscious."

"There is no hope," the First Elder proclaimed, "Your friend is dying."

His words stabbed through me like a knife, leaving a hollow hole of panic behind me.

_Focus, _I urged myself, curling my fingers into a fist. _Don't panic, focus._

"Why has it happened to him and not to us?" I wondered aloud.

"The disease hits all manner of people," the First Elder replied, "Suddenly, without warning."

"And never the Elders?" Terna asked.

"No."

The Lyall dropped her eyes, her expression thoughtful as I knelt down beside Ian, placing a hand on his back.

"It's incredible. The build-up in body temperature," I whispered, "This disease, is it contagious?"

"No," the First Elder replied.

"I wonder…" I whispered.

"Doctor, it doesn't seem like a disease at all," Terna said.

"I agree with you."

"But why did Ian contract it, and we didn't?" Susan asked, "We've done everything together. We've come from the spaceship together, we've come through the city together."

"Yes, yes, yes." I ran a mental checklist.

"This room. The fruit."

"No. No, no, no, no, no. Only you had some of it."

"Oh, yes."

"I know. He drank a different kind of water," Terna suddenly cried. "Doctor, it's the water!"

"Then why do not all who drink the aqueduct water die?" the First Elder demanded.

"Well, I suppose it would depend on their resistance. In time, of course, all will succumb." I replied simply.

The First Elder looke horrified. "You cannot be sure of this."

"No, I can't. This is all we have to go on," I stated. "Send for your servant, please."

As I spoke, Ian suddenly calm 'round. His eyes opened, and he groaned heavily.

"Susan," he whispered hoarsely as my granddaughter knelt closer to him.

"It's all right, Chesterton. Rest quietly," I urged him before turning to Terna, "This isn't an illness; it's more like poison.

"Yes, I agree with you," she nodded. "Something's gotten into the water supply, that's why no one's been able to cure this disease: because it isn't a disease at all."

At that moment, the servant entered. "Oh, go to your scientists now. I want some sodium chloride and I want it quickly," I said to him; he bowed and quickly left.

"What happened to me?" Ian groaned.

"Hush, Ian. Just rest," Susan whispered, rubbing his hair gently.

"Do you wish your companion to stay here?" the First Elder inquired.

"Please, please," I replied distractedly, running my fingers through my hair.

"Bring some covers," the First Elder ordered another servant.

I turned to him, "Now, sir, your indulgence."

The Sensorite leader shook his head, "I am distressed by this tragedy. What can I do to be of assistance?"

"Well, we must make sure no one drinks anything but the crystal water," Terna declared, getting back to her feet.

The First Elder nodded. "Agreed."

"Fine. And can I work with your scientists?" I added.

The furs on the tusks of the First Elder's mouth curled up into what I assumed is a relieved smile. "They will be honoured."

I grin in response. "Splendid, splendid."

"How long has he got?" Susan then asked the First Elder.

The Sensorite looked at her sadly. "I hear the distress in your mind; I wish I could be more reassuring."

"How long?" my granddaughter repeated.

The First Elder dropped his eyes, "From the first symptoms, no one has lived longer than the third day."

"That's not that long," Terna whispered grimly.

You'd be surprised, Terna," I asserted, "We do indeed time. I have chemicals and equipment on my ship. Return the lock and I promise you, sir, I will not only cure my young friend but all your people," I added to the First Elder.

"I must discuss this matter with the Second Elder," the leader Sensorite replied just as the servant returned with the salt water for Ian.

I sighed; I suppose it can't be helped, "Well do not delay any longer than is necessary, please. Thank you." I then took the bow l from the servant and crouched down beside Ian.

"How's that gonna help him?" Terna inquired.

"Salt and water, Terna. An old-fashioned remedy but I'm sure it'll serve," I replied.

"Ian. Ian, try and sit up," Susan urged him, taking hold of one of his arms, while Terna grabbed the other.

"Come along," the Lyall added as she and my granddaughter hoisted the partially unconscious man into a sitting position.

"I feel very weak, Doctor," he groaned.

"Yes, now I want you to drink all of this," I said to him, holding out the bowl of water "It isn't going to be pleasant, but it's all for your own good."

Ian blinked at me. "Drink?"

"Yes, here," Terna took the bowl from me and held it below the man's lips. Cautiously, she tipped its contents down Ian's throat.

He splutters, choking at the saltiness. Susan took hold of him as his whole body shook with the force of his retching.

I watched him dismally before my eyes met with Terna, and I saw my own worry reflected in her.

Will they let me into my ship?

()()()

Eventually, Terna and Susan managed to settle Ian onto a couch in the corner, covered in furs the servant had brought us. The young man slept fitfully, his body often consumed with violent coughing, and his face burned with fever.

Susan hurried about him, doing everything she could, but I could see the human man growing weaker.

Terna was sitting in one of the chairs, holding her Omni-Vice over the glass of water Ian had drunk from.

"Well?" I asked, sitting down beside her.

"Nothing," the Lyall replied through pursed lips. "Whatever it is that's infecting the water, it's practically invisible.

I nodded grimly. "Most poisons are."

"Doctor, do you really think the humans that came to the Sense-Sphere all those years ago could really be responsible for this outbreak?"

"That's one explanation surely," I replied thoughtfully. "However, one could hardly place all the blame on a crew of dead men and their exploding spaceship."

At that moment, the First Elder reentered the room, and both Terna and I jumped to our feet.

"Have you come to a decision?" the former inquired.

"Yes, but you won't like it," the Sensorite leader replied quietly.

"What do you mean?" I demanded.

"I'm afraid I cannot permit you to enter your ship," the First Elder declared.

"What? Why?" Terna cried, causing the Sensorite to cower at her raised voice.

"Don't you understand? I need the equipment in my ship to heal Ian and your people," I exclaimed. "Why would you not permit me access."

"The Second Elder has reminded me that your friend could potentially be faking, and you could use our pity of you to force your way into your ship and do God's knows what once you are inside."

"How can you be so stupid," I shouted. "If you continue to distrust us, not just Ian but the people of your world will die!"

"No noise! I beg of you," the First Elder whimpered. "Please, I trust you, but the decision is not mine alone to make."

"Why can't you make up your mind?" Susan demanded.

"Just look at that young man," I cried, gesturing to Ian lying on the couch, "I've done all I can for him at the moment: given him salt and water. He's been coughing his heart out. I must have chemicals and equipment.

"His death will be your fault, and yours alone," Terna added.

The First Elder held his head. "Very well, I-"

But he was intrupted by another Sensorite entering the room; I assumed him to be the Second Elder due to the single black sash draped across his chest. "Sir," he addressed his superior.

Both then pressed their communication devices to their foreheads and convened telepathically, well above my threshold.

"What is it now?" I spat impatiently.

"I can't hear them," Susan whisperd to Terna, "Their minds aren't open to me."

"Same here," the Lyall replied.

Eventually, the First Elder turned back to us, "Doctor, I cannot allow you to go to your ship."

My hands curled into fists, "Don't set yourself against me." I whispered coldly.

"There is a laboratory here," the Second Elder insisted, "You may prove your poisoned water theory there, or not at all."

"You fool!" I yell.

Both Sensorites cringed

"Grandfather, please!" Susan placed a hand on my arm, "They think you're attacking them. We're sorry. There's so much about your planet we don't understand," she added to the Elders.

"But don't they see that-," I insisted, but Terna cut me off.

"Doctor, Susan's right," she said to me before turning to the First Elder, "We didn't mean to use sound as a weapon. We weren't even aware sound hurt you."

The First Elder eventually recovered. "Very well, but please be careful in future. I wish to see regular reports on the progress of this theory.

The First Elder then left.

"Theory?" I cried.

"Grandfather, please!" Susan pleaded

I glared after the First Elder, but eventually relented. "I know; we have no alternative, but such outrageous behaviour!

"Doctor, forget it," Terna pressed.

I sighed heavily, "Oh very well. Now, I want you two to stay here and act as nurse," I said to them, gesturing to Ian, "Watch his pulse rate, will you, and let me know immediately if anything happens."

"Alright, Grandfather," Susan replied.

At that moment, Ian suddenly opened his eyes. "Doctor, what's happened to me?" he whispered hoarsely.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him.

"My throat's…sore," he croaked.

"Any pains elsewhere?" Terna asked, kneeling down beside him.

"No, but I feel very giddy," Ian replied as Terna presed a hand to his sweaty forehead. "Susan, ask a servant for a cloth soaked in cold water."

"I will be sure to have one fetch you one," the Second Elder piped up.

I glared at him before turning back to Terna. "Just let him rest for the time being, and let him have all the crystal water he wants, and if his breathing gets febrile, artificial respiration."

"Are you sure there isn't anything else you want me to do?" the Lyall Queen asked.

I smiled sadly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "For now, I need you here. Now, sir, "I then turn ot the Second Elder, "Your laboratory. And I only hope there's time to save my friend."

()()()

The Second Elder lead me to their laboratory which turned out to be a rather large room lined with long, white tables that were filled to the brim with all manner of equipment, including dozens of test tubes, generators, bubbling liquids, burners, and many other useful tools.

As well as a equipment, there was also a team of Sensorite scientists, distinguished as such by a white band each wore on their right arm.

I took one long sweep of the room, taking everything in.  
_Well, it's not as good as the lab on my ship, but it could be a whole lot worse._

"Yes, well, I have to say, very comprehensive," I remarked before turning to the waiting scientists, "Now, gentlemen, time is not on our side. I believe your people have been dying because there is atropine poison in the aqueduct water."  
I then reached into the pocket of my waist coat and took out a folded piece of paper, "Now, allow me. I've made a few notes here which might interest you."  
I unfolded the paper and put on my reading glasses as I read aloud from the sheet, "Here are the symptoms: Atropine causes dilation of the blood vessels, rising temperature, and the pulse rate becomes very rapid, a rash may appear, the mouth and throat both become extremely dry. Now what we have to do, gentlemen, is isolate the poison and then prescribe the remedy."

"We give you our assistance," one of the scientists declared, bobbing his head respectively.

"Good," I reply.

"Although, we have tested the water already," another scientist, who I infer is the leader, remarked.

"Yes, well then we must try again," I announced.

"Over here is a sample of the aqueduct water." The Head Scientist leads me over to a table full of beakers, handing me one full of a clear liquid.

"Thank you," I say excepting the water and holding it up to the light, examining it as a sudden thougth occurs to me, "You know, a strange thing here is, not all your people died."

"Three in every ten," another scientist replies, "Last year it was two in every ten."

"Yes, well, maybe some are able to resist it or perhaps some of the water is good," I muse aloud.

"But all the water is the same," the Head Scientist insisted.

"Yes, but surely from different outlets?" I replied.

"There are ten districts in the city, but only one source," the Head Scientist explained.

"Well, gentlemen, there's a poison at work here," I announce, "I know the signs. Now what you must do is to test samples from each and every district. Where did that come from?" I then asked of the vial.

"This palace. It is district ten," a younger scientist answered.

"I see. Well now, I suggest that you sample this bottle, and mark it and then start keeping records," I said to him, passing the beaker to him. "And there's not a moment to lose. Now remember, I want samples from all the outlying districts. It's imperative."

And so the testing started, a rhythmic cycle of running one sample of water through the system only for it to come back negative. District after distict came back negative, all the while I knew that the logner I took, the worse Ian would be getting.

First District: negative. Second District: negative. Third District: Negative. Fourth District: Negative.

Terna came into to tell me that Ian had become delirious, babbling away in his sleep as his fever burned through him.

Fifth District: Negative. Sixth District: Negative. Seventh District: Negative. Eigth District…

"This one! I've found it!" I exclaimed joyfully, holding up the vial from District Eigth so that the Sensorite scientists could clearly see it was beginning to dakrne as evidence of its corruption.  
"And just as I suspected" I declared, "Atropine poison. That's why your people have been dying off."

"But why were some of the districts negative?" the Head Scientist asked.

"Because it varies from place to place," I replied. "That's why when you made your tests, you didn't discover it."

"We are very fortunate for your help, Doctor," another of the scientists said to me. "Is a cure now possible?'

"I believe so," I replied, "Which reminds me, one of you go and inform the Second Elder as well as Terna and my granddaughter; Ian will be healed in no time now!"

After the scientists had sent out the message to their superiors of my discovering the secret to their diesease, I decided to go and see how Carol and John were getting on, having not seen them since we'd landed on the planet.

I was instructed towards a small room, empty aside from an odd kind of contraption that John was strapped into; he was sitting in a chair with a large, bulky device situated on his head consisting of a helmet and several large tubes and wires protruding from the top that were connected to a machine beside the chair.

Carol greeted me as I entered, and I explained to her that I had found a cure for the Sensorite's plague.

She was most pleased at the news.  
"You're tired out, Doctor," she observed as I sat down in a chair beside John.

"Yes, but a happy tiredness, my dear," I replied. "How's our friend?" I added, gesturing to John.

"Oh, he's improving, but he still seems to go back sometimes to that old state of confusion," Carol replied, her eyes going somewhat distant as she remembered the destroyed state she'd found her fiancé in.

"Yes, you must expect that," I said to her.

As I spoke, one of the scientists entered.  
"Ah, my friend. You've prepared the antidote?" I asked him.

"Yes, Doctor."

"Splendid. Now I think we ought to start making this in large quantities," I declare, "Will you please see that that goes to the First Elder's room? Give it to my granddaughter, Susan."

"I'll send a messenger immediately," the scientist replied with a slight bow before leaving the room.

"Yes, well now we shall soon be off this planet," I proclaimed, flashing Carol a cheery smile.

"When John's cured," she replied, not seeming to share my enthusiasm. "There's no quick antidote for him." As she speaks, she strokes John's faded hair; he twitctches in his chair, mumbling to himself.

"Oh, courage, my dear. Courage," I reassured her.

At that moment, Terna entered the room.

"A messenger said you wanted to see me, Doctor," she said to me, eyeing John's odd contraption as she spoke.

"Ah, yes, my dear, but first: how's Ian?" I inquired of her.

"All the better now that the antidote's been found," Terna replied. "Will it be administed to him soon?"

"Within the hour," I replied.

She grinned. "Splendid."

"Indeed. However, as to the reason I called you here," I continued, throwing my arm around her shoulder and leading her away from Carol and John. "You see, I'm rather baffled with this atropine poison, because it only seems to appear in one part of the city or rather one reservoir at a time. It's curious."

"Why should it matter if you've discovered an antidote?" Terna asked.

"Oh, yes, there's a cure all right, but then why cure something when we can stamp it out, hmm?" I offered.

Terna seemed to consider this. "I suppose it's a point. There's always the risk of the poison returning after we leave the planet."

"Precisely."

"So, what do you want to do?"

Before I can respond, John suddenly opened his eyes. "Enemies," he murmured.

Terna and I whirled around. "What's did he say?"

"Plotting." John whispers, shiting around in his seat.

"He's more coherent now," Carol explained as she placed her hands on John's arms in an attempt to soothe him, "But it's as if he was living in a dream world where he's surrounded by enemies."

"Enemies. Yes," John insisted, grabbing Carol's hand, "Making plots." The look in his eyes was wild, frightened even, but there seemed to be much more sense to it now, rather than simply the paranoid ramblings of the broken mind.

Terna looked at him thoughtfully, seemingly sharing my opinion, "I don't know. He might be more lucid then you think, you know? I'd keep note of what he says."

"Yes, listen to John," John insisted.

"You see, he knows his name," I exclaimed warmly, "Now you stay with him. I think he's getting better, and I'm sure you're going to have a great future between you, later on," I reassured Carol, and the young woman smiled at the thought, "Meanwhile, Terna and I are going on a little exploration."

"We are?" Terna asked.

"Where are you going, Doctor?" Carol inquired.

"I'm going to find the Head Scientist, and we're going off on an expedition," I replied simply, not wishing to relay the full extent of my plan at that time, "It isn't dangerous, of course. But when I have solved my problem I'm sure we shall all be out of trouble."

With that, I took my leave of the two human astronauts, Terna hurrying after me as I made my way back to the lab.

"What are you planning, Doctor?" she asked me, giving me a knowing smile. "There's always something."

"Well, like I said: we're going to cut off this atropine poison at its very source."

()()()

"Here is the entrance to the aqueduct," the Head Scientist announced.

He had lead Terna and me down into the bowels of the Sensorite city. We were currently standing at the mouth of a gigantic black tunnel that stood like the dark, hungry mouth of some great beast. The air was damp and cold, and the faint sound of running water could be heard thundering inside the tunnel's depths.

"It's very gloomy," Terna remarked, squinting into the darkness.

"All our attempts to light it end in failure for one reason or another," the Head Scientist explained.

"But that must make it rather difficult for you. The Sensorites dislike darkness, don't they?" I said to him.

"We avoid this place," the Sensorite replied simply, "We have no reason to go down to the aqueduct anyway."

"Well, it may be because you've neglected it that the water's become poisoned," I declared.

"Shall we return now?" the Head Scientist asked.

"Return? I don't want to return," I asserted. "I haven't just come here for a look. I'm going in there."

"No! You must not," the Head Scientist cried, his large eyes seeming to become even larger with fright.

"Why not?" Terna asked.

"You will not be able to see," the Head Scientist replied.

"Oh, but I have a torch," I declared, "Terna, if you wouldn't mind."

"Sure thing." With a flick of her wrist, the Lyall fashioned her magnifying glass into a torch and clicked it on, instantly illuminting the dank space with a soft, yellow light.

"There are monsters in there," the Head Scientist continued to protest.

"Indeed? Are there?"  
Monsters? Why are there always monsters?

"Yes, we've heard them," the Head Scientist continued.

"And not seen them?" Terna asked.

"No, but they are there," the little creature hung his head, trembling slightly, "The noise is terrifying."

'Yes, well, I think you should return to the laboratory," I offered, placing a hand on his shoulder, "We shall be all right. I assure you."

The Sensorite looked as though he wanted to protest further but eventually relented, shuffling back up the tunnel steps and into the light he relied on so heavily.

"It's very convenient, isn't it, Doctor?" Terna mused.

"Yes. Noise and darkness: the two things the Sensorites dislike," I agreed "There's more to this than meets the eye."

"Well, shall we get started then?" Terna added, training her torch beam directly into the cave. It didn't reveal much.

"Of course, now, watch your step," I advised her as I cautiously moved forward into the tunnel, almost instantly swallowed by its darkness; I had to concentrate quite heavily to be able to see properly.

I'd barely gone three paces when I snagged my foot on something and staggered heavily, nearly falling flat on my face.

"Oh, by the way, there's a step there," Terna called to me as I struggled to regain my balance.

"I can see that," I snapped through clenched teeth before righting myself and turning to her. "Why don't you go first?"

"That's probably best," she replied, slipping past me and moving along deeper into the aquaduct, trailing her light along the cavern walls.

The tunnel was large, so we were able to move through it without much difficulty. The walls were made of grey stone, and a large black pipe jutted out from the wall, running the length of the tunnel.

I walked closer to examine it, hearing the sound of water faintly sloshing around inside the pipe as I approached.

"Doctor!" Terna suddenly cried.

I looked over to see she was standing a short ways further down the pipe then me, peering intently at something growing along the metal surface.

"What is it, Terna?" I asked her, coming up beside her.

"There's some kind of mold or something growing in the pipes," the Lyall replied, "It could be what's leaking into the water system and spreading the poison."

Mold?

"Shine the light a little closer, Tena," I urged her. She obliged, and the pipeline was instantly illuminated revealing a thick crop of squat plants with wide green leaves and dark purple berries hanging from the stems growing all along the pipe stetching off into the darkness on either side.

My eyes widened at the sight. "Is it? Yes, I thought so," I cried, "Atropa Belladonna, otherwise known as…"

"Deadly Nightshade," Terna finished for me.

Suddenly, out of the darkness, there came a loud roar.

Terna and I both whirled around, the former shining the light violently around the area in search of the source of the noise.

"What was that?" Terna hissed, gasping as the noise came again, louder this time.

I grabbed her arm. "Douse the light," I whispered.

She looked at me. "Are you mad?"

"The light's what's drawing it to us," I insisted, "If you turn it off, we might be able to evade it."

Terna gritted her teeth, "Oh, fine."

With that, in a brief flash, the light was out; although, I could still see Terna's eyes glowing faintly like twin pinpricks of sapphire jeweles in the darkness.

The roar came again, sounding real close this time as well as what sounded like big, heavy feet, sliding across the floor.

Terna and I huddled together against the pipe, trying not to move an inch or even breathe.

"Not a sound," I hissed in her ear.

"I can't see it," she murmured as the beast shuffled about in the space before us.

"Shhh," I whispered.

We watched the darkness with bated breath, barely able to detect the creature at all, but I could hear the grunts and groans of the beast, whatever it was, as well as_ smell_ it's putrid odor. It continued to snuff about a short ways down the tunnel for a few more moments, but then it seemed to move on again: the sound of its footsteps growing quieter and quieter.

"I think it's leaving," Terna said, stepping away from me.

The words had barely left her lips before the thunderous sound of frantic footsteps could be heard coming the opposite way down the hall.

I'd barely registered them, and Terna had barely turned around when another creature gave a great grunt and lunged forward. Terna gave a cry, and I could see the faint sillouette of some kind of biped being covered in furs striking her hard across the face with a stout club.

"Terna!" I yelled without thinking as she flew backwards and smacked into the side of the pipe with a loud clang.

The being rounded on me, breathing heavily as it stalked towards me, waving its club.

I staggered back, my hearts racing in my chest. "Keep away!" I cried, but the beast paid me no mind.

It lunged at me and dealt me a sharp blow under the ribs. I gasped as all the air was ripped from my lungs, and my legs gave out under me. I crumbled to the ground, groaning as the creature pounced upon me.

My vision swam, but I faintly caught a glimpse of a flash of silver: a knife! The creature roared again, but the noise didn't sound nearly so feral without the echo of the cave to strengthen it. However, the knife was very real as he began slashing it through my clothes, tearing them to shreds. I tried to move, trying desperately to get away but the creature pinned me to the ground with its other hand, and its grip was like iron.

I yelled again, knowing full well that it wouldn't take much for that knife to get thorugh my coat to my skin.

But then Terna was there: there was a flash of yellow, and the creature gave a howl of agony. The knife fell from its grip and clattered to the floor beside my head as the monster jumped up and scrambled away from me. I half-lifted my head to see Terna standing over me, her face partially illuminated by the glow of her sword.

"Stay back!" she snarled at the creature before lunging and swiping her sword again. The creature gave another scream of pain before taking off with surprising speed and limping away into the darkness.

Terna dropped to one knee, her sword falling from her grip.

"Terna?" I asked weakly, slowly sitting up even though I felt like the room was still spinning and there was a horrible ache in my stomach.

"I'm fine," the Lyall replied, getting back up and turning around so I could see she was nursing an awful slash to the side of her head, blood already pooling between her fingers.

"Terna, you're head!" I exclaimed, attempting to stand up, but found I still wasn't able.

"I'm fine!" she insisted, dropping down in front of me. "It's just a scratch. What about you?"

"Never better," I replied with a grim smile, "Thanks to you, my dear. That might have been the end of me if you hadn't been here."

Terna nodded, pursing her lips. "You didn't happen to get a good look at it, did you?" she asked me.

"The monster? No," I replied. "All I saw was that it was walking on two legs."

"Yes, and that sound it made didn't necesseraily sound like that of an animal," Terna added before reaching down and plucking the creature's fallen blade from the ground, "And what kind of 'monster' uses a knife?"

"Grandfather!" We both jumped in alarm and whirled around in time to see Susan and Ian running down the tunnel towards us, the latter looking completely well and carrying a latern.

"Susan? Ian? What on earth are you doing here?" Terna exclaimed, leaping to her feet.

"Came to look for you, of course," Ian replied breathlessly.

"You shouldn't be up and about so soon, young man," I chastised him, "You've only just been administered the antitdote."

"Grandfather, what's happened to you?" Susan cried, rushing over to me and quickly helping me to my feet.

"I'm fine, my dear," I attempted to reassure her.

"What happened?" Ian asked Terna.

"We came down here to investigate the source of the poison, turns out it was Deadly Nightshade," Terna began, fishing around in her pocket for a handkerchief and pressing it to her bloody forehead. "Suddenly the thing attacked us, it was so dark that we couldn't see it coming. It knocked me to the ground and then attacked the Doctor with this." She held up the knife.

Ian arched an eyebrow. "A monster that uses a knife?"

"That's what I said," Terna agreed.

"Yes, well, it's a good thing I gave you the antidote when I did," I added to Ian. "In the state we're in, I don't think Terna and I would have been able to make it out of this tunnel."

"We didn't get the antidote," Susan asserted, "I had to go all the way back to the laboratory to get some more."

I gaped at her. "What?"

"So someone intercepted the cure before it could get to you?" Terna surmised.

"Yes, surrounded by enemies," Ian mused.

"Indeed," I agreed, "The poison in the water and those monsters in this tunnel, and now there appears to be someone amongst the Sensorites that bears us ill-will. That's two separate enemies."

"Don't you mean three?" Ian asked.

"No, I believe those monsters and the poison are connected in some way," I replied.

"Well, we've more or less solved that problem, but this Sensorite who's against us is a much greater danger," Terna declared.

"Yes, and I suggest we go back and find out which one it is," I added.

"Alright," Ian agreed, and we all quickly make our way back out of the aquaduct.

()()()

As we made our way back to the First Elder's estate, Ian eventually had to pause in the courtyard for a breather and sit down on a bench.

"Hang on a moment, I just need a quick rest," he gasped.

"You've been exerting yourself, boy," I said to him, "And naturally you're weak."

"He can rest now though, can't he, Grandfather?" Susan asked.

"Of course," Terna replied with a grin, "We'll force him to."

Ian smiled weakly, "I wish you all would stop fussing over me."

"Now, now, you must do as you're told, and that is that," I chided.

"Hey, Doctor; isn't that one of the Elders?" Terna asked me.

I turned to see a Sensorite passing through the plants on the other side of the courtyard.  
"It's the Second Elder," Susan exclaimed, "He's only got one sash."

As she spoke, I watched one of the Sensorite warriors approach the Second Elder and hand him what looked to be some kind of electric key.

I turned back to Ian, "Rest here for a few minutes more; I want a word with him about his failing to get you that antidote."  
I then turned and swiftly walked over to where the Second Elder is standing, talking with ther warrior. "I say, you, sir. Sir, I'd like a word with you." I called.

The Sensorite Elder turned, took one look at me, and then bolted.

"Hey, wait!" I cried, starting forward, but it was no use. Despite his severely flat feet, the Sensorite had vanished into the trees in a matter of minutes.

I stood there for a moment, blinking in confusion.  
_Why did he run away? Was it the tattered clothes?_

Perplexed, I walked back over to where Ian and the others were.

"Grandfather, we were just discussing whether we should ask the First Elder to let Barbara come down here with us," Susan said to me as I drew nearer.

"I think that's a good idea," I replied.

"So, what he'd say?" Terna then asked.

"It was most extraordinary," I declared. "He ran away from me!"

Susan giggled. "That must have looked funny. Flip, flap, flip, flap." She then walke about like a penguin: obviously imitating the Sensorites way of moving.

"I can assure you he was very mobile, my child," I asserted, slightly miffed. "Now, come along; let's get into the First Elder's room. Come along."

()()()

Upon arriving in the chambers of the Sensorite leader, I immediately inquired of him what exactly had caused my initial sending of the antidote to Ian in the hopes of unearthing who it was amongst the Sensorites that potentially wanted us killed.

"Yes, I have asked questions," the First Elder explained, "The first supply of the antidote you sent, Doctor, was intercepted by the Second Elder: my advisor. He has since disappeared."

"Disapeared?" Terna cried, almost getting up form her chair, but the servant Sensorite bandading her scraped forehead held her down.

"But we just saw him in the courtyard," Susan added.

"His behavior is a mystery," the First Elder mused.

"Yes, strange indeed, sir," I agreed, "I tried to talk to him, and he ran away."

"I think he took that antidote and destroyed it," Ian declared.

"For what purporse?" The First Elder demanded, aghast at the accusation.

"He obviously bears some ill will towards us," the human man replied. "After all, he wouldn't allow the Doctor into his ship when I first fell ill."

"I cannot believe such a story," the First Elder declared. "I selected him for office myself, but it is not pride which makes me defend my choice. I know that Sensorite. I trust him."

"And yet you can't explain his actions," Susan added.

"A mystery does not mean that he is guilty," the First Elder retorted.

"It's an awful lot of coincidence though," Terna stated.

Before the First Elder could respond, a servant entered with a long black clock.

"For the Doctor," the former announced.

I smiled. "My dear sir. That's most civil of you."

The servant handed me the cloak, bowing respectfully before exiting the room. I unfolded the new cloak and then Susan helped me put on the cloak and fasten the clasps.

"Very smart," she declared.

I grinned. "Yes, Beau Brummell always said I looked better in a cloak."

"I don't know who that is, but I agree with him," Terna said with a smile as the servant tending to her wound stepped away signifying it was complete.

At that moment, a Sensorite I'd never seen before entered the room; he was wearing a black collar around his throat.  
_If my memory serves me, that collar signifies he's the City Administrator._

"The City Administrator wishes to speak?" the First Elder confirmed my assumption as he addressed his fellow Sensorite.

"Urgently, sir," he replied, "A story has been put before me that you should hear."

"Now?" his superior asked.

"It concerns the Second Elder and these Earth creatures," the City Administrator explained, gesturing to us with somewhat disdain.

"Did he just calle me a 'creature'?" Terna grumbled under her breath.

"Very well," the First Elder relented.

"Enter," the City Adminstrator called into the hall, and a Warrior Sensorite entered the room. I could be wrong, but it looked as though it might have been the one convening with the Second Elder in the courtyard.  
"Tell your story," the City Administrator commanded him.

"Sir, the Second Elder is dead," the Warrior announced.

The First Elder's eyes grew wide with shock. "What?"

"He was killed in the courtyard; I saw the man who killed him," the Warrior replied.

"Who was it?" the Sensorite leader demanded.

"It was the man called the Doctor," the Warrior answered.

"That's not true!" Susan cried, jumping to her feet.

"The Senior Warrior here has evidence," the City Administrator asserted, "Speak."

"I met the Second Elder in the courtyard as he had ordered me to," the Warrior continued, "I gave him the firing key for the disintegrator. Then I saw the Doctor go after the Second Elder."

"Yes, I did that, but I didn't kill him," I declared firmly.

"I saw you," the Warrior insisted, "You wrestled for possession of the firing key."

"There is the firing key," the City Adminstrator announced, holding aloft the same metal key we'd seen with the Second Elder in the courtyard, although it was somewhat broken, "Bent as though in a struggle."

"And finally, when the Second Elder resisted, you took an object from inside your coat, and struck him down and killed him," the Warrior concluded.

"This is preposterous," Terna snapped, crossing her arms, "Eyewitness testimonies can never hold any water in a proper court of law, which I hope you possess on this supposedly civilized planet."

"This is a grave charge," the First Elder mused.

"But obviously untrue, sir," Ian refuted.

"Why?"

The human man turned to the Warrior. "How did you recognise the Doctor?"

"His hair is different," the warrior remarked, "So are his clothes."

"Oh, yes, his clothes," Ian repeated. "You say that you saw him take an object from his pocket."

"Yes."

I grinned, immediately recognizing what Ian was doing.

"You could see quite clearly? You're sure it was from his _coat _pocket?"

"I tell you yes!" the Sensorite cried, "All the Sensorites know the Doctor by his-"

He stopped dead as I stood up, clearly showing that I was wearing a cloak.  
"The Doctor's coat is outside the aqueduct," Ian declared, "You are lying."

"Then, then it was a cloak he was wearing!" the Warrior stammered. "Yes, it was. I'm sure of it now. It was a cloak."

"I have just presented the Doctor with that cloak," the First Elder asserted, "Your story is a tissue of lies. Remove him." He added to the City Adminstrator.

He roughly grabbed the Warrior by the arm, "I shall interview you myself," he snarled before summoning two more Warriors to haul him away.

The City Adminstrator then turned back to the First Elder, "Sir, you must forgive his wild accusation, but I felt his story should be brought before you."

"You acted correctly," the First Elder commended, but he still looked greatly troubled, "What can have possessed my advisor?"

"The Second Elder, sir, was always opposed to our visitors," the City Adminstrator reminded him, "Perhaps he stole the firing key in order to attack them with the disintegrator?"

"I bet he stole our antidote too," Susan whispered to me, "He was our enemy."

"A sad matter," the Sensorite leader mused, "But since he has deceived us, my sympathy shall not be wasted. As to his replacement."

The City Adminstrator held up the black sash, "I have his sash of office here, so that you may select a new advisor immediately."

"Perhaps he ought not to look further than this room," Ian declared.

"Yes. If he thought he got promotion because of us, he'd be a useful ally," Terna whispered to me.

"Just what I was thinking," I replied before stepping forward, "Yes, of course, we have no wish to interfere in your affairs, but the City Administrator appears to have all the qualifications."

The First Elder seemed to agree, "Well, what do you say? Can you accept such power, such authority?"

"My only ambition is to serve the Sensorite nation," the City Adminstrator replied with a humble bow.

"Then accept this sash," the First Elder takes it from his fellow Sensorite and presents it to him, "I make you my advisor. From now on you will be know as the Second Elder, second only on the Sensphere to me. And once this order is made, only a betrayal of trust can set it aside."

The Administrator took of his neck band, and the First Elder puts the sash on him.

The First Elder then turned to us, "My new advisor and I have much to discuss. Will you excuse us?"

"Certainly, sir," I replied, "My companions and I will pay a visit to the man John, and note his progress."

"Oh, you were going to ask about Barbara," Susan reminded Ian.

"I don't think this is quite the moment. I'll ask later," Ian replied.

"Oh, and congratulations," Terna said to the new Second Elder as we walked past.

"When you address one of the Elders, you call him sir," the City Administrator snapped coldly.

()()()

When I returned to the room that John was being treated in with Susan and the others, a wonderful sight met our eyes: John was sitting up in the chair, the contraption of wires and tubes no longer attached to his head, smiling and laughing with Carol, who I could see had tears of joy in her eyes.

"Well, well. What a happy scene," I exclaimed.

"Do you remember us?" Susan inquired of John.

The young man smiled at her, "I remember you distinctly."

'Well I'm Ian, this is Terna, and this is the Doctor, Susan's grandfather," Ian introduced us.

"I'm glad to see you don't bear a grudge against the Sensorites for the past," I added.

"All that matters now is the present," Carol declared, putting her arm around John's shoulder as he reached up to clasp her hand.

"Splendid!" At that moment, I notice one of the scientists that had helped me earlier milling about the instruments, "Now sir, the antidote. I wonder if we might begin distributing it in larger quanities to the other districts."

"Of course, we have already done so," the Scientist replied.

"Excellent," I commended. I then noticed a bizarre little collection of odds and ends laid out in a table in the corner.

Approaching, I saw that it was a series of objects seemingly all of Earth origin: there were a pair of sneakers, some faded photos, and a set of antique baseball cards, among other things.

"And what is this little collection of things here?" I inquired of the Scientist.

"Left behind by the humans that were killed in the spaceship explosion," he replied.

"I see," I mused thoughtfully. One had to wonder about those human men, and why their story kept resurfacing in these matters.

"Oh, look at these, Doctor. Family snapshots. Look," Ian came up behind me, examining one of the old photos.

"Yes, now just a moment. This is rather important," I turned back to the Scientist, "I require a rough plan of the aqueduct."

"One of the human beings was very interested in the aqueduct," the Sensorite mused.

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Grandfather, the First Elder wants to talk to you," Susan suddenly called to me. "The new Second Elder just came in and told us."

"Oh, yes. I have a couple of questions for him," I declared.

"I shall see you have a plan in detail if you need," the Scientist added.

"Oh, yes, please."

"But the City Administrator can have no objection," he added.

"The City Administrator! Of course!" Susan suddenly cried.

"What about him?" I asked.

"Wait, I see where you're going with this," Terna exclaimed before turning to me, "John was just telling us that while he was being treated, his mind was still open, and he sensed an evil mind moving amongst the Sensorites."

"Who?" I demanded. "What did he look like?"

"He said there was something different about his clothes from the others," Susan explained, "At first we thought he was talking about the Second Elder."

"But maybe it wasn't," Terna added, "John, you know you said that there was something odd about the Sensorite? Was it his collar?"

"Collar? Yes, that was it," John cried.

"You see, the City Administrator. He was our enemy," Susan declared.

"What, the one who's just been made the Second Elder?" Ian exclaimed.

"Yes! When John was ill, he must have given himself away," Susan deduced.

"Yes. He was certainly pretty odd with me," Terna agreed.

"If this is true what you say, Susan, there's trouble ahead for us," I said, "That Sensorite has power now."

Ian nodded gravely, "Yes, and the worst of it is, we gave him the power."

()()()

"It's no use telling him stories about the Second Elder, Doctor. We've got to give him proof," Terna whispered to me as she, Ian, and I sat in the First Elder's throne room.

"Yes, I quite agree," I replied, "And the only way to get that proof is to go back into the aqueduct. But then who's going to look after Susan?"

"Look, why don't you ask the First Elder if we can have Barbara down here again?" Ian offered.

"A good idea," I remarked.

"Gentlemen, my lady, be seated," the First Elder announced.

"Yes, thank you," I said to him as we took our seats.

"Well, sir, the Doctor and I have discussed this poison business, and we are convinced that your water supply is being deliberately poisoned," the Lyall declared.

"Yes, and what we propose to do, sir, is to go down into the aqueduct, find your enemies and stop them," I added.

"Very well. But you will take light with you, and such arms as we can provide," the First Elder declared.

"Thank you," I then turned to Terna and Ian, "We're making progress."

"Barbara," the latter reminded me.

"I wonder, sir, could I ask you a small favor?"

"Ask it."

"We have a companion, a young lady, on the ship. Is it possible for her to be brought down here in the Sense-Sphere?"

"It will be arranged."

"Splendid, sir. Splendid," I exclaimed.

At that moment, a Warrior entered.  
"I have brought the weapons, sir."

"Ah. Thank you, Warrior. Instruct them as to their use," the First Elder commanded.

The Warrior passed us the two weapons that resembled some kind of sleek, silver gun.

"Very simple to use, Doctor," Terna remarked, holding out the weapon.

"Careful," I urged.

"The range is considerable," the Warrior explained, "The ray paralyses up to a distance of thirty yards."

"Yes, yes, splendid," I mused, "And remember, my dear that I shall be standing nearly next to you," I added to Terna, "I've never liked weapons at any time. However, they're handy little things. Tell me, how long does this paralysis last?"

"One hour," the Warrior replied.

"Fine, fine. These weapons are splendid, sir. And without a doubt they'll help us to make success," I commended.

"And yet I do not envy you your adventure," the First Elder asserted, "I still wish I could dissuade you."

"Yes, and that brings me to another problem," I continued, "My granddaughter, Susan. She's bound to want to come with us."

"I don't think she ought to, Doctor," Ian added.

"No, I quite agree with you, my boy," I said to him. "We must go and not tell her, and save any arguments. I wonder, sir, would you mind keeping a small secret until we're well and truly away?"

"Very well," the Sensorite leader replied.

"Yes, thank you. After all, there's no real danger, and we have these weapons," I added.

"I'm sure we can settle our little business in an hour or two," Terna remarked, turning the silver stun gun over in her hands.

"Ah, the map of the aqueduct," the First Elder announced just as the Scientist I'd spoken to earlier entered the room, carrying a piece of parchment.

"Oh, excellent, excellent, my dear sir," I commended as he handed me the map.

"Well, let's go and make an end of it, Doctor," Ian declared.

"Are you quite sure you're up to it?" I asked him.

"Quite."

DOCTOR: Splendid. Lead the way, sir," I said to the Scientist, and we headed off.

()()()

"Now, remember, we know for a fact that we won't be alone down here, so we should all remain on our guard," I was saying to Ian and Terna as we made our way into the aqueduct. It was as dark as ever: I couldn't even see the nose at the end of my face.  
"Put the light on Chesteron," I added to Ian, who obliged.

I cautiously began moving forward a few paces, keeping a keen eye on the glow of Ian's lantern shining ahead of me, creating a patch of grey stone that was the only thing visible in the darkness.

A rough scraping sound was heard the distance, making me jump, and Ian nearly dropped the lantern.

"What was that?" he hissed.

"I don't know," I replied, glancing warily about us, "But we can't turn back."

"No, of course not," Ian still sounded nervous.

"Let's keep moving, we'll be an easier target if we remain in one place," I urged, "Come along, Terna," I added the Lyall, who was bringing up the rear.

"Coming," she replied distractedly, and I could hear her sandals slapping against the damp ground as she ran to catch up with us.

We walked in silence for several minutes, the tunnels twisting and morphing around us as we moved. It was a nightmare waiting to happen and I hardly ever looked up from the map, relying on Ian making sure I didn't walk into anything; I didn't want to overlook anything: one wrong turn, and we might never make it out of here.

"Alright, if we want to make it to the main generator, we should need to take a right here," I pointed straight ahead.

Ian shined the light.

I faltered, "Or left…rather. That can't be right," I glanced back down at the map, and my hearts changed placing with my stomach when I suddenly realized something.

There were several smudges dotting along the parchment, as though someone had erased the original lines and redrawn others.

The map was wrong.

I was just beginning to panic when Terna suddenly spoke up, having lagged behind again.

"Doctor, we've got a problem."

Damn right we do.

"Oh, what is it?" I asked.

Ian and I both turned around to see that Terna had taken her gun apart, a process that might have taken some time, which explained why she hadn't been keeping up, and that the inside of the weapon was completely empty.  
"The inside filament's been removed; these weapons are useless."

Ian nearly dropped the light again as he scrambled to retrieve his own weapon, opening it to reveal that his was also empty, and I was nearly certain mine was the same.

"It's only one of our troubles," I declared grimly, showing the other two the map, "Look, all the lines have been altered. Someone's been messing around with it."

"We need to get out of here somehow, Doctor," Ian cried.

"Yes, in time," I attempted to reassure him.

"We haven't go time," Terna snapped, "We've brought no food, and the only water available is spiked with deadly nightshade."

"Yes," I mused, "A charming outlook."

As if things weren't already bad enough, we suddenly heard a very familiar roar sound off not too far from us.

Ian jumped and grabbed my arm.

"Courage, my boy," I attempted to calm him. "Terna, have you still got your Omni-Vice?" I whispered to her.

"Yeah, hang on." After a moment, there was a bright flash and then Terna's sword was gleaming out of the shadows.

"Doctor, something moved just ahead of us!" Ian cried.

I snapped my head forward in time to see a hulking shape attempt to lumber back into the darkness.

"I got 'em," Terna declared, rushing forward.

The creature howled at her approach, whirling around and swinging what looked like a club. The Lyall parried his strike with her blade, knocking the blunt weapon from its hand and then taking a dig at it's shoulder.

The creature howled, along with a ripping sound, and the scent of blood before it shoved Terna to the ground and took off running.

"Terna, are you alright?" Ian and I rushed to her side.

"I'm fine," she assured us, scrambling to her feet and stooping to pick up a piece of fabric. "Look, this came away in the struggle," she held it out to us.

Ian peered at it; his eyes widened, "It looks like a shoulder flash! I-N-E-E-R," he read.

"Yes, just as I suspected," I declared, "It must be one of the survivors from the destroyed spaceship.

"But they all died," Ian asserted.

"No, remember? The Sensorites only _suspected _they'd all died," Terna reminded him, "Only two were confirmed to actually have been on board the ship that exploded."

"Which means that three might still be alive," Ian exclaimed.

"So, they've been hiding down here all this time, poisoning the water," Terna mused, "I wonder why."

I took the light from Ian and shined it along the floor, illuminating the steady flow of blood from the now injured man. "I don't know; let's ask them."

We followed the blood trail for several yard, eyes and ears kept perked in case the Earth men decided to meet us halfway.

"It's so quiet," Ian whispered.

"Perhaps, they're preparing an ambush," I mused.

"You're a cheerful soul," Terna grumbled.

"I assure you, my dear Terna; my spirits couldn't be higher," I asserted as I walked along, a smile playing at my lips, "Collecting evidence, circumstantial or otherwise, calculating it, pursuing it until it's inevitable. It's fascinating."

And indeed it was: what a mystery we had stumbled across: since we'd first landed on Maitland's ship, there had been so many layers, twists, and turns.

Now _this _was true exploration.

"Doctor," Ian hissed.

"Oh, don't interrupt me, my boy; it's most irritating," I chastised.

Then someone held a knife to my throat.

Oh, well in that case…

I glanced to my right and then my left to see that a second, larger man was holding a blade to Ian's throat while his other, massive hand crushed at Terna's windpipe, her sword at her feet as though she'd attempted to rush him.

"Let her go!" I snapped at him.

The man looked at me: his white eyes were wide, bloodshot, and glassy, not a speck of light reflected in them from years spent lurking in the darkness.

The sight of them made my blood run cold.

The one holding me grunted, "Let the girl go," his words sounded slurred.

The other man growled but relented, dropping Terna on the ground where she lay, gasping and choking.

"Terna, are you alright?" I made to start forward, but my captor pressed his knife further into my throat.

"Stay where you are!"

His companion shoved Ian to the ground; Terna, who had thankfully recovered, made to dive for her sword, but the man stepped on the blade, preventing her from grabbing it.

He picked it up and then held it and his own weapon out in front of him. "Get up," he said to Ian and Terna, pointing the two blades at him.

They obliged, while the one holding me, removed his knife and shoved me in front of him.

"Walk," he ordered us.

"You were right about an ambush, Doctor," Ian whispered.

"Yes, I usually am," I replied.

"Walk!" the man repeated.

"Where to?" Terna demanded.

The man grunted, shoving his knife towards her. She staggered back a few steps, her blue eyes flashing angrily at her powerless situation.

"Come on, Terna." I took her hand before she did something stupid, "Let's just do as they say for now."

The Lyall glared at me, but she relented, and we allowed our captors to usher us forward, deeper and deeper into the tunnel.

"There is no need to be alarmed by us," I said to the men after a moment, "We came to find you."

"To find us?" the man holding Terna's sword asked.

"Are they all dead?" the other man asked.

"Dead?" I asked.

"The Sensorites, you mean?" Terna inquired.

"Yes, the Sensorites, do you have a spaceship?" the first man asked.

"Yes," Ian replied.

"Are there more of you?"

"No."

"And you haven't brought the Sensorites with you?"

"No; we're alone," Terna insisted.

"Wouldn't you like to leave these tunnels and go out into the sunlight again?" I inquired of the men.

"No."

"Why not?" Terna asked.

"They would hear our minds talking," the first man replied, "Now, come; he wants to talk to you."

"Yes, I thought there'd be a third," I mused.

"Yes, the commander," the second man replied, "He wants to talk to you; follow me."

"Are you certain you're alone?" the first man added.

"Yes," Terna snapped.

We continued on. After a few paces, I subtly ran a piece of chalk across the pipe, creating a distinct white mark.  
"In case we have to make a run for it," I answered Ian's questioning expression.

He smirked, "I'm glad you're on my side, Doctor."

Eventually, we came to an open space, slightly lighter than the other parts of the tunnel. The pipes were hung with strips of dirty cloth to make a canopy of sorts and a few weathered crates sat under them acting as tables and chairs.

A third man, as dirty, rough, and wild, as the other two was sitting on one of the boxes, scratching a series of marks into the crate's surface with a sharpened rock.

He glanced up as we approached.

"Commander, the new arrivals are here," the first man announced.

Upon seeing us, the Commander's eyes immediately brightened, although it was a manic kind of light, as he jumped to his feet and rushed over to us. "This is the best news I've heard in a long time," he exclaimed, grabbing my hand and shaking it so vigorously I was nearly certain I'd fall off.  
"I'm very glad to see you all," the Commander continued, "Did you have a rough journey? Yes, I'm sure you must have; come, let's sit down," he threw his arm over Terna's shoulder, the Lyall looking quite repulsed of the wild man, and ushered us over to his furniture of crates.

We settled down around the box table, and the man looked at us all, flashing us a blackened, toothy grin. "You'll have to excuse us: the quarters are a bit rough. But I'm sure you're used to battle stations."

"Battle stations?" Terna asked.

"Yes, now, Number 1, Number 2," the Commander turned to his two underlings, "Number 1, take over ammunition detail; put it in the seventh pipe this time. You'll find the supplies all ready."

"Yes, sir," the first man saluted and then hurried off.

"And Number 2, organize a lecture for Number I, would you? Civility isn't for me; it's for the uniform. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

I watched as the man then went to the edge of the clearing and began vigorously pacing the perimeter. It looked like something out of an insane asylum; I watched him sadly.

The Commander turned back to us, "Have to keep discipline up, you know? But they're all good men. Very fine, morale's very high here."

These men are all completely crazy.

"Well, you have a very well ordered base here, sir," Ian offered nervously.

"It's very good of you to say so," the Commander replied.

I looked to Terna, who was eyeing me knowingly.

I nodded slightly. _Give him the bait._

"We have a surprise for you," the Lyall said to the Commander, "The war with the Sensorites is over."

The man was aghast, "Is that true?"

Terna smiled sweetly, "Oh, yes."

The man's crazed eyes lit up once more with excitement, "And the planet's ours now, is it? Completely?"

"Completely," Ian agreed.

"Well, this is absolutely wonderful!" the man exclaimed, before his face fell, and for a moment I thought he might snap and try to strange someone.  
"We nearly lost, you know," he said quietly, "I had command of a fine spaceship, very fine. Two of my men deserted, pretended they had to go back to Earth to get reinforcements."

"So you had to blow up your spaceship," I surmised.

"Yes. Still, I suppose I'll get another one," the man grinned, his good mood returning as quickly as it had left, "I'll be able to afford it now. Planet's very rich."

"Oh, yes. Molybdenum," Ian recalled.

"Oh, you know about that, do you?" the Commander was surprised, "You do realize this war has been fought by me and my men here. Any treasure trove is ours."

There was a dark edge to his voice; I felt Terna's arm going under the table, reaching for the sword that wasn't there.

"That's quite understandable," I quickly exclaimed, grabbing her wrist, "Isn't it, Terna? Chesterton?"

"And I'm prepared to back that statement up with force, if necessary," the Commander continued, "I have good supplies here and loyal men. Of course, we're just discussing this, but you are alone: hardly in a position to fight me and I have my men, and my organization."

"Commander, warning in route two," the pacing man suddenly cried out.

"What?" the Commander jumped to his feet, "Have you been telling me lies? You've brought other people with you, haven't you?"

"Perhaps they're really allies of the Sensorites," his underling snarled, brandishing Terna's sword.

"No, Number Two, not allies. Spies," the Commander asserted, "The war isn't over at all, is it? I thought it was a bit too good to be true."

"Now just a minute," Ian got to his feet as well, "We knew nothing of this warning system of yours."

The Commander grinned wickedly, "No, of course you didn't, and it's tripped you up, hasn't it? Number Two, there'll be a court martial. Immediately. Treason."

"Ian!"

We all turned in time to see a familiar human woman running towards us.

"Barbara!" Ian rushed over to her, suddenly no longer caring about the two crazy soldiers blocking his path as he shoved them aside and ran to embrace Barbara. "What on Earth are you doing here?" he cried.

I then saw that John was with her too: now fully recovered and eyeing the other Earth men in utter shock.

"What's this? Who are these people?" the Commander demanded.

"I'm afraid you misjudged us, sir," I quickly explained, "These people are part of the committee, here to welcome you. We all came down here to take you out again to the surface."

"To celebrate your success, sir," Terna added, playing along.

"What's going on?" Barbara whispered to Ian.

"Play it cool," he replied.

"And who is this?" the Commander asked of Barbara.

"This is our navigator. She is going to lead us back," Ian replied.

"Well, I'm glad the fighting's over," the Commander eventually relented, his crazed anger quickly dissipating, "I'm looking forward to a bit of a rest now."

"Yes, you deserve it, sir," I declared, "So do your men, and I think the sooner we take you out into the sunshine, the better."

The Commander nodded before turning to his lackey, "Number Two, assemble the men, please. We'll be leaving immediately. It seems we have a victory to celebrate. You might pass on my congratulations to the men, Number Two.

"Thank you very much, sir," the man replied with a cheerful salute before hurrying off to fetch the other member of their crew.

The Commander turned to the rest of us. "Shall we move, then?"

I quickly learned that Carol and John had learned that the City Administrator had tampered with the maps and guns in the hopes of stranding Ian, Terna, and me in the tunnels. Also, to my surprise, I was also informed that they had been able to navigate their way through the aqueduct with the aid of none other than Susan, who had communicated with Barbara through one of Sensorite's telepathic devices the directions by reading them off a chart in the laboratory.

What an extraordinary grandchild I had.

John had explained all of this to me in a hushed tone as we escorted our 'war heroes' back through the tunnels.

"So, Susan was really able to achieve all that?" I was still amazed by this factor.

John smiled, "Yes, it was most impressive."

He then glanced towards the head of our procession where Barbara was leading the way along wit Ian, the two soldiers walking behind them while the Commander followed close behind John, Terna, and me.  
"We ought to hang back a bit," he whispered to me, "There's a surprise waiting for them on the other end of this tunnel."

"A surprise?" Terna and I exchanged a glance.

No sooner had he spoken, we'd reach the entrance to the aqueduct. Even the dim light of lower floors was nearly blinding after hours of darkness, and it must have been absolutely devastating to the three Earthmen after so many years underground.

It did seem to momentarily incapacitate them when suddenly:

"Don't move!"

A group of Sensorite Warriors were gathered around the tunnel's mouth all pointing their weapons at the Earth soldiers.

The two men froze, dumbfounded.

"Drop your weapons," the Lead Warrior commanded.

The two men quickly released their knives and Terna's sword.

"What are you doing?" the Commander cried.

"Take them away," the Warrior ordered his men, who obliged, hauling the stunned soldiers away.

"What are you doing, men? Resist!" the Commander yelled, "Come back here, you men. Treachery!"

He started forward, but Terna and I grabbed his arms, holding him back.

"It's all over now," I said to him.

But the man paid me no mind, "Treachery!" he shrieked.

There was a flash and a smell like burnt metal, and the Commander crumbled to the floor. The Head Warrior strode over to us, sliding his paralyzing gun back into its holster.

I looked down at the man lying on his face in the filth he had inhabited for so long and had become a part of. "Pitiful fellow. Oh, I know he did your people incalculable harm," I said to the Warrior.

"I could have killed him," the Sensorite replied, "I wanted to. But that would not be the way, would it?"

I shook my head, "No."

"He could have destroyed the entire Sensorite nation," the Warrior added.

Yes, but the fact is, you didn't kill him; that's quite admirable," Terna declared.

I nodded in agreement, "It shows great promise for the future of your people."

()()()

Sometime later, I stood in the TARDIS Console Room for the first time in what felt like months, adjusting a few perimeters and checking the figures to make sure everything was still in order.

Grateful for all the service we had given his people, the First Elder had finally agreed to release the stolen lock to us, and now my ship was perfect again.

I glanced up as the doors slid open, and Terna and Susan entered.

"Captain Maitland has agreed to take the others back to Earth," the former announced.

"They were completely insane," Susan mused, "They really believed they were at war with the Sensorites."

"At some time, they must have opened their minds or experimented with the mind transmitters," Terna said as she settled into the Egyptian throne, "Either way, every really rational thought was crushed out, and all they had left was the game they played: the game of war."

Susan walked over to me and leaned against my chest, just as she had done shen she was small; I put my arm around her shoulders.  
"What about the new Second Elder?" I inquired of Terna.

"The tampered map proved his treachery; the First Elder said he'll be banished to the outer wastes."

"Well, I'm glad to see that everything seems to be in order? Where are the others?"

"Saying goodbye to John and Carol," Susan explained, "They'll be along shortly."

I then noticed that Susan seemed a little down.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"I was talking to the Second Elder just now: it seems the Sense-Sphere has an extraordinary number of high frequencies, so I won't be able to use thought transference once we leave."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing," I assured her, "After all, no one likes an eavesdropper about, do they?"

"What are you looking at me for?" Terna snapped.

Susan giggled at this.

I smiled as well, "Susan, I think you obviously have a gift in that direction, and when we get back to Gallifrey, I think we should try and perfect it."

"When will we get back, Grandfather?"

"Oh, I don't know, my dear," I replied, glancing about the TARDIS, "This old ship of mine seems to be an aimless thing."

"I sure hope you get the hang of it someday," Terna declared.

Susan nodded thoughtfully, "Sometimes I feel like I'd like to belong somewhere, and not just wander."

"Not all who wander are lost," Terna mused.

"Stoker?" I asked her.

"Tolkien."

"Still," Susan continued, "I'm not unhappy."

"Well, that's good," I exclaimed in relief.

Susan laughed and hugged me again.

I looked over her shoulder to see Terna grinning at us from her chair; it would seem Susan isn't the only one.

A few seconds later, Ian and Barbara entered.

"Here we are," the former announced.

"Always last," I remarked, "I was about to leave without you."

"We were just saying goodbye," Barbara insisted.

"Yes, I know. Let's see Maitland off, shall we?" I said, turning on the scanner.

The screen blinked on in time to see the once lifeless spaceship jump back into warp drive and fire off into the blackness of space, streaking back home.

"Bon voyage," Terna called.

"Well, at least they know where they're going," Ian declared.

I glared at him.  
"And you're saying I don't?" I snapped.

"Oh boy," Terna whispered.

"You shut your mouth," I said to her before turning back to Ian. "So, you think I'm incompetent do you?"

"I wasn't implying anything," the human man insisted.

You know, I've had just about enough of this boy and his complaining. That's all he's ever done, and if it weren't for me, he'd be dead!

"Since you're so dissatisfied, my boy, you can get off this ship," I announced, "At the very next place you stop, I shall take you off myself!"

With that, I pulled a lever, and the TARDIS started off towards its next destination somewhere in time and space.

* * *

A/N: The Doctor hasn't had a chapter all to himself in a while. He's hard to write for, but I think I did alright. I hope you enjoyed. This is one of my favorite stories, so I had a lot of fine.

Next time: The Reign of Terror


	14. The Reign of Terror

Chapter 14: The Reign of Terror

* * *

Terna didn't really know what to expect.

The Doctor had suddenly declared he was going to take Ian and Barbara home after the former made a flip remark about his inability to control the TARDIS. This was the first time the Time Lord had officially attempted to guide his craft back to the two humans' time period.

The Lyall couldn't help but wonder if he would actually be able to pull it off.

The Doctor seemed to think so.

"There we are: home," he declared as he went through the serious of now familiar motions that initiated the TARDIS landing protocols.

The machine landed with an unceremonious 'thump' before going silent.

Ian and Barbara exchanged a glance.  
"Doctor, we-" the latter started, but the Doctor cut her off.

"It's all right; Chesterton made your position quite clear," he declared, "Now, I have some work to do."

"Grandfather, please," Susan urged.

"Hush, child. Say your goodbyes," the Doctor asserted, "And remember, we shall be leaving almost immediately."

"Do you have to be in such a hurry?" Ian demanded.

"Enough time has been wasted bringing you back, young man," the Doctor declared, "I have the universe to explore."

"And my people to find," Terna added, "But are you absolutely certain you've brought them back to their time, Doctor?"

"Certain?" the Doctor snapped indignantly, "Of course I am! I've never been more certain of anything in my life."

Terna gave him a knowing glare, obviously calling his potential bluff, but Susan drew her attention as she grabbed her arm.

"Must they go?" Her eyes were shining with unshed tears as she looked at Terna willfully.

Barbara smiled sadly at her, "Susan, we've visited many places together, had lots of adventures, but you always knew we intended to return home when we could."

Susan bit her lip, "Yes, I know, but-"

"Look, I know it's hard to say goodbye," Terna tried to comfort her, putting an arm around her shoulder, "But one day you'll understand why they had to."

"But Grandfather can bring them back any time now," Susan protested.

"Don't you see, Susan? The longer we leave it, the harder it'll be," Ian explained.

Susan whimpered, looking to be on the verge of bursting into tears. Despite their differences in age and species, these two humans had been her beloved teachers once and her friends soon after, one could hardly go through all the misadventures they had together and not form some sort of connection.

But Ian was right, she supposed, they did have to leave eventually, and delaying it would only make it more difficult.

The young Time Lady squeezed her eyes shut, balling her fists, before rushing forward and hugging both Ian and Barbara and then rushing out of the room.

Ian and Barbara looked at one another, and Terna noted that they probably felt quite similar to Susan, torn somewhere between what they wanted and what they needed to happen.

Perhaps they too had somewhat grown fond of the old police box in the junkyard, and the people they'd fond in it.

"Hmm. Still here?" the Doctor remarked.

"Yes, we're waiting for you to carry out the checks," Ian replied defensively.

"Quite unnecessary," the Doctor declared, "I already told you I am certain of our location; if you doubt me: take a look for yourselves."

He then promptly switched on the scanner to reveal an image of an open grassy field; it was late evening, the sky was a deep, starless black. There wasn't a soul around.

"Perhaps that will satisfy you," the Doctor stated.

"Mmm. It could be, I suppose," Babrara mused.

"Kinda hard to tell," Terna added.

The Doctor looked miffed, "Obviously you're still in doubt. Let us take a longer look, through the trees, hmm?" He adjusted the scanner.

"Ian, look. Fields, crops; it's fully cultivated," Barbara exclaimed

"Yes. Pity it's so dark. I can't see a sign of any buildings," Ian added.

"You know, it reminds me of a holiday I once took in Somerset," Barbara remarked.

"Then I expect it is Somerset, my dear," the Doctor declared, "Well, if you're going, be off with you."

Ian glanced warily at the scanner screen, "Look Doctor, I think it'd be better if you came with us: at least to explore."

"It's out of the question. I refuse to leave the ship," the Doctor asserted firmly.

"Maybe you have succeeded; maybe we are where you say we are," Ian stated, "But I remember an occasion when you took us home once before."

"Yes, and we met Marco Polo," Terna mused.

"Entirely different circumstances!" the Doctor cried, "I'm rather tired of your insinuations that I am not master of this craft. Oh, I admit, it did develop a fault, a minor fault, on one occasion," he faltered, "Perhaps twice, but nothing I couldn't control."

"I know that. Of course you're in control. You're always in control, and I'm sure you could revisit us at any time," Ian declared.

Terna, who'd been silently watching the whole exchange, raised an eyebrow at his sudden change of tune.

"Very simple. Quite simple," the Doctor agreed.

"Exactly, quite simple," Ian agreed, "But you have your important researches to complete; you may not find the time. There's a chance that we won't meet again. Don't you think it would be better if we parted under more friendly circumstances, say over a drink?" he smiled wryly.

The Doctor seemed to consider this; Terna had to stifle a laugh, realizing what the human man was trying to do.

The Doctor paused, seemingly turning over Ian's proposition. "Yes. Yes, well perhaps, since you put it that way, an hour or two won't come amiss," he finally agreed, "Susan!" he called into the hall. Bring my stick will you?

"Yes, Grandfather?" the young Time Lady reappeared in the Console Room almost instantly.

"We're going to see Ian and Barbara back home safely," he informed her, "Bring my walking stick. Terna, you're coming to."

"I am?"

"Yes, I'm not about to leave you here to your own devices," the Doctor declared, "You might break something."

"You don't need my help for that," Terna remarked smugly.

The Doctor scowled at her just as Susan reappeared with his cane.  
"Well, let's be off; the night grows dark," the Doctor announced before pulling the switch that opened the door, and they all stepped out into the night.

The clearing was nearly pitch black, and the air stagnant with heat.

The Doctor locked the TARDIS as the others looked about their surroundings.

"Well?" he demanded impatiently.

"Well, those crops suggest a manor or farmhouse," Barbara inferred, pointing to the neat rows of growing wheat lining the horizon, "It should be reasonably close."

"It's very warm, isn't it?" Susan observed, "It must be summertime."

"Why aren't there any lights?" Terna asked, switching on her own transformed Omni-Vice, "I got the impression your era was full of them."

"That's a point," Ian agreed, "Its dusk, and we've got a very good view from here."

'Well, towns and villages can be well-spaced, even in England," Babara reminded him.

"Are we going to stand here talking all night, hmm?" the Doctor demanded.

Before anyone could respond, a distinct rustling was heard coming from the bushes lining the clearing's edge.

Susan whimpered and grabbed Terna's arm.

"Oh, relax," the Lyall exclaimed, "It was probably a fox."

"Maybe. I'll go check," Ian declared before silently slipping over towards the spot where the noise had originated.

"Be careful, Ian," Susan whispered.

The human man leaned cautiously forward, squinting into the dark treeline for any signs of the potential source of the noise.

"Do you see anything?" Barbara inquired.

"No." Ian replied before moving further into the thicket, disappearing into the shadowed trees.

"What's he doing; he won't be able to see," Terna exclaimed sharply.

"And you're probably right anyways," the Doctor declared, "It's most likely just some kind of woodland animal, like a rabbit or something. Do you know, Chesterton's getting quite jumpy these days? Young men like him shouldn't suffer from nerves."

"Can you really blame him?" Barbara grumbled.

"Well, that rabbit of yours is putting up quite a fight," Ian suddenly announced, stepping back into the clearing.

Everyone gasped to see that he was holding a young boy by the scruff of the neck; the child appeared human with a thin, wirey build, stringy dark hair, and filthy, mud-splattered clothes.

"Ian, you're hurting him!" Barbara exclaimed as the boy twisted in his grasp.

"Oh, no, I'm not," Ian asserted through gritted teeth.

The boy kicked him hard in the shin, causing Ian to buckle over with a grunt of pain. The child then tried to make a break for the trees, but the Doctor stepped in front of him to stop him.

"Come here, my boy. Where are we? Where do you live, hmm?" he demanded of him.

The boy gaped mutely at him, his pale eyes wide in the darkness.

"Grandfather, you're frightening him," Susan chastised, before putting a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "We're your friends. Don't be afraid," she assured him.

"Look at him; he's absolutely terrified," Babara observed.

"Yes. Of us, or of something else?" Ian wondered aloud.

"Come along, answer my questions, boy," the Doctor snapped impatiently.

The boy whimpered, "Please, I've done nothing."

"We're not going to hurt you," Terna reassured him.

"Speak for yourself," Ian grumbled, still nursing a sore leg.

"No of course, we're not," Babara added, shooting him a glare, "Look, we've lost our way and we need you help. This is England, isn't it?"

The boy looked confused, "England? No, France."

Ian looked shocked, "France? Well, how far from Paris?"

"Not far. Twelve kilometres."

"Oh, that's something, I suppose." Ian still looked disappointed.

"`Paris, eh? A hundred miles or so either way is to be expected," the Doctor mused aloud, "After all, it's only a fraction of the distance we've covered. It's quite accurate, in fact."

"Yes. Assuming the distance is your only error," Terna remarked with a smirk.

"You know, Doctor, I have a feeling you've been building up our hopes again," Ian added grimly.

"Oh, nonsense," the Doctor asserted, "Let's have a word with the boy. Now look here, my boy-" He turned around only to find the spot the boy had been standing in to be quite vacant.

Ian grimaced. "We lost him."

"You don't say," the Doctor spat sarcastically.

"There's no hope in going after him," the other man added, "Probably knows these woods like the back of his hand."

"Not that big of a loss," Terna declared, "There's bound to be someone at the farmhouse on the other side of the treeline. We can always look to them for information."

"A good idea, Terna," the Doctor agreed, "Come on; let's be off."

"You don't think I could get a chance to change first?" Terna added, holding up the sleeves of her slightly sullied abaya dress.

"You look fine," the Doctor replied dismissevly, "Now, make haste. Terna, you go in front with your light."

Sighing dramatically, the Lyal obliged,

As Ian, Barbara, and Susan followed them into the trees, the latter whispered to the other two, "I wonder why that boy was so afraid."

()()()

The small group, guided by Terna's torchlight, eventually broke free of the dark trees and out into a second clearing where a farmhouse stood. Or rather, what remained of it; the building was old and heavy with wear and tear, hardly able to stand up on its own structure much less support anyone potentially living inside it.

"What do you make of it, Barbara?" Ian inquired of her, knowing her historical knowledge would allow her to make some kind of assessment.

"Well, it looks deserted," the human woman declared, "You know, I'm certain we're sometime in the past."

"Well, we were a hundred miles out, perhaps we're a hundred years out as well," Terna remarked, trailing the flashlight over the face of the house, displaying crumbling stone and rotting wood

"Oh, rubbish, rubbish," the Doctor scoffed.

"Well, it's possible," the Lyall asserted.

"You know, I think we ought to get back to the ship while we still can," Ian declared.

"Nonsense," the Doctor retorted, "It was your idea to explore, anyway. Besides, this might be very interesting. The walk will do us good."

With that, he turned and marched towards the door of the farmhouse, Terna and Susan hurrying to catch up.

"Come on, you two. You don't want to be lost in the dark," the young Time Lady called back to the two humans.

'Don't worry, we're right behind you," Ian called back as they headed through the gate; he turned to Barbara.

"Well, we're still not home," she said.

"No, we're not, are we?" Ian sighed, "Still, I do think he tried this time, even if it was out of bad temper."

"So we stay with the ship," Barbara declared.

"Yes. Cheered Susan up, hasn't it?" Ian replied with a grin.

"Well, are you disappointed?"

Ian look thoughtful, "Funny enough, no. I don't know. Depends on where we are; I still could be."

"Ian! Barbara!" Susan called from inside the farmyard.

"Come on, you two. Don't want the wolves to get you," Terna added.

Ian turned to Barbara, "Cheerful as always, isn't she?"

"Well, we'd better join the others," the other human declared before they both hurried through the gate.

They entered a dismal little courtyard full of straw, mud, and old animal droppings; a dilapidated chicken coop rested against the far wall and several buckets, shovels, and spades were strewn about the ground.

Ian strode across the yard over to the Doctor and Terna, who are standing by the house, examining the exterior.

"It looks uninhabited. Do you suppose we can get in?" Terna was saying as he approached them.

"What are you two looking at?" the human man asked.

"I'm not looking at anything," the Doctor replied. "Terna, take a look through there, will you? I think your eyes are sharper than mine," he added to the Lyall.

"I _know _they are, Doctor," she replied. The Doctor scowled at her as she climbed up onto an overturned bucket so as to be eyelevel with the filthy window, "Mm, everything's strewn about and abandoned; I don't think anyone's lived here for years."

"Well, then there shall be no consequence to us looking around," the Doctor declared, moving over to the door. He grasped the rusty knob, and it turned with a slight creak, "We're in luck. The door's unlocked."

He pulled it open to a shower of dust and the ripe smell of mildew. Terna sneezed violently as Ian stepped forward, trying to get a better look inside.

He looked to the Doctor, who shrugged. Without another word, the two men cautiously moved inside the house with Terna not far behind.

The air is the house is suffocating: baking in the summer heat and rot of underkeep. Cobwebs dangle from the ceiling and dust lines the floor like a grey carpet. Terna continues to sneeze over and over into her handkerchief while the Doctor and Ian examine what appears to have once been a kitchen: there's a rusted antique stove in the corner and a table of rotten wood in the middle of the room.

However, Ian raised an eyebrow when he spotted two gold candlesticks conspicuously sitting on the table. They were shined and polish with their wax dried in drips and the whicks curled down as though they'd recently been light. They were the only thing in the house that seemed to not have been touched by time or neglect.

Curiously, he strode over to the table and picked them up, examining them closely.

As he did so, the Doctor turned to Terna, "I'll take upstairs, and you and Ian search down here."

"All right."

"What are we looking for exactly?" Ian asked.

"Oh, anything of interest," the Doctor replied dismissevly as he took one of the candlesticks from him and headed upstairs, the steps creaking heavily under his feet as he went.

At that moment, Barbara and Susan came in from outside.  
"Where's the Doctor?" the former inquired.

"He's gone upstairs," Ian replied, "Look at this. What do you think a candlestick like that's doing in a place like this?" he added, holding out said object to her.

Barbara shook her head in bewilderment, "I don't know."

Terna, who had been fishing around in a cabinet by the stove held up a small object, "Here's a tinderbox." She opened it and struck a match on the sole of her shoe, "Candle's burn brightest in the dark," she mused as she passes the flame to Ian, who lights the candles.

"Look at this!" Susan cried from over in the corner where she'd found a large wooden chest.

Terna and Barbara went over to her to see that the chest she found was full of clothes.  
"Hey, these are eighteenth century," Barbara exclaimed as she crouched down beside Susan to examine the clothing more closely.

"Is that relevant?" Terna asked.

"I suppose it might be," the other woman replied.

"Well, never mind that. I need a new dress anyways," Terna declared, dropping to one knee and began going through the clothes.

"Look at this one!" Susan said to her, beaming as she held up a dress that was a beautiful periwinkle blue.

"There's a whole wardrobe here," Barbara observed, going through the piles of coats, shirts, breeches, shoes, dresses, and petticoats, "They're all different sizes too."

"Look at these bundles," Ian called, producing a cluster of oil-skin wrapped parcels from under the table, "Bottles of wine. Bread. A bit stale," he continued, opening the parcels and laying the food out on the table.

"There's another bundle over here," Barbara added, reaching behind the box, "Hey, look at all these maps." She pulled out a role of yellowed parchement and unfolded it to examine it more closely.

"There's a whole bunch of daggers down here," Terna called, pulling out a satchel of knives from the bottom of the chest; they were all new and freshly sharpened.

Ian unfolded a pile of papers he'd found alongside the parcels of food, "These documents…they're official documents: undated and the name is left blank. They're passes, Barbara."

"Yes, but nobody lives here. I mean, look at the dust everywhere."

"This is a stopping-off place," Ian surmised, "A link in some escape chain. Here, look at this." He passed the papers to her.

Barbara examined it closely, her eyes widened. "Ian, this is signed by Robespierre!"

Ian gaped, snatching the papers back from her, "Robespierre? Must be a-" he faltered. "Oh, wait a minute, the Doctor's put us down right in the middle of the French Revolution."

Terna grimaced, "A Revolution? I don't like the sound of that."

Barbara nodded gravely, "Your intuition serves you well; this era was known as the Reign of Terror."

Now that they had confirmed their location, Barbara deduced it was best to borrow some of the clothes from the chest so as to better blend in with their surroundings.

While the women fumbled with the clothes, Ian went over to the stores, noting the Doctor's rather lengthy absence. "Doctor? Doctor?" he called.  
"Oh let him alone and get dressed, human," Terna said to him, shoving some masculine 18th century attire into his arms.

"Here, Terna, naturally you get the blue one," Susan called to her, holding up said dress.

"Thanks." Taking the garment, the Lyall stepped into a side room to get changed just as Barbara came out in a canary yellow gown.

"How do I look?" she asked Ian.

He grinned, "Very pretty, mademoiselle. Hairstyle's a bit modern, but it's all right. It was a good idea to change into these clothes," he added, "We won't look so conspicuous when we go back to the ship."

"We might not get back to the ship if Grandfather hears we're in the Reign of Terror," Susan piped.

"Why not?" Ian asked.

"It's his favorite period in the history of Earth," Susan replied.

Terna overheard this as she comes back into the room, now decked out in era-appropriate attire. "Figures," she grumbled.

"What on Earth's he doing up there?" Ian added, glancing once again at the stairs, "Come on," he added to Terna, "Let's go find him."

They are about to do, but a voice suddenly calls out sharply from across the room.  
"Don't move."

The group all whirled around to see two men standing in the doorway, both holding pistols.

The taller of the two, who is a dark haired man with a rather handsome face gestures to Ian, who is still holding one of the candlesticks. "Please put that on the table."

Ian begrudgingly obliged. Terna, meanwhile, attempted to dive into her pocket for her Omni-Vice.

"I said don't move!" the second man, who was shorter and lighter-haired then his companion, thundered, pointing his gun directly at her.

The Lyall froze, although her glare never wavered.

"Thank you. What are you doing here?" the first man asked.

"Don't waste time, Rouvray," the second man snapped, "Kill them. They're after us."

"I think not," the first man, Rouvray, asserted, "But I would advise you to answer the question," he added to the group.

"We're travelers," Barbara replied.

"We only stopped here until we could find our way," Susan added.

Rouvray arched an eyebrow, "At a deserted house?"

"You're one to talk," Terna remarked.

"You'll gain nothing by this questioning," the second man cried, "We should be moving on!"

"Patience, D'Argenson," Rouvray chided, "Even in these troubled times our visitors have the right of an explanation, even if our enemies do not accord such privileges."

"We're not your enemies," Ian declared, "We are what we say we are: travelers."

Rouvray eyed him gravely, "When you entered our hideout, you entered our lives."

"What does that even mean?" Terna snapped impatiently.

"Silence!" D'Argenson thundered.

"Do you travel alone?" Rouvray inquired

Barbara swallowed slightly, "Yes."

D'Argenson rounded on Rouvray. "You see, they lie!"

"We found the old man upstairs," Rouvray informed the others, "Do not count on his assistance."

Susan paled, "What have you done with him?"

"At the moment he's safe," Rouvray replied calmly, "It was in your power to see that he came to no harm, but your answer proves that you do not speak truthfully. There is something you are concealing."

"It doesn't concern you," Ian insisted.

"We must be leaving now," D'Argenson almost implored of his companion, "The soldiers will have followed!"

Rouvray ignored the other man's pleas as he continued to address Ian and the others, "In France now there are only two sides: you're either with us or against us. Our sympathies are obvious; we want to know yours."

"We appreciate what you say, but we have no side," Barbara replied.

"We're not even French." Terna added

At this, Rouvray lowered his gun somewhat, despite D'Argenson still astutely having his own pistol trained on them, "A word of warning: if you intend to stay in France, you will have to choose."

D'Argenson had had enough, "We cannot trust them now!"

"If we are to escape from France, we must have faith," Rouvray asserted coldly, "If all people are incapable of our trust, we shall take the Terror with us."

"Where is my Grandfather?" Susan asked quietly.

Rouvray looked to her. "The old man? D'Argenson, go and bring him down."

D'Argenson opened his mouth most likely to argue when a sound of thundering hooves and footsteps made everyone freeze.

"Shh! Listen," Ian hissed as the sounds of movement came to a stop in front of the house. He slowly slipped over to the dust-covered window; peeling back one of the moth-eaten curtains, he caught a glimpseo of a crowd of armed man and horses emerging from the tree line and gathering in the courtyard.

"The soldiers! They've found us!" D'Argenson cried; his eyes widening in panic.

"Quiet," Rouvray snapped.

"But they'll take us to Paris, to the guillotine," D'Argenson insisted, his ravings become more panicked by the minute, "Rouvray, I can't, I can't let that happen. My whole family were executed, even my younger sister." His voice broke as he became nearly overwhelmed, "They came to the house while I was out and they dragged them away. Rouvray, we must go while we have the chance!"

He didn't get the chance; at that moment, in a flash of gold, Terna knocked his gun from his hand. It fell to the floor between them with a clatter. D'Argenson dove for it, but Terna got it first.  
She held the gun before the two men, preparing to fire.  
"Against the wall. Now!" she thundered, her blue eyes flashing brightly in the half-light.

D'Argenson twisted in steadily building panic, "Rouvray will shoot you!"

Terna remained unfazed, "I'm faster. Trust me. Wall. Now."

D'Argenson cursed fiercely between clenched teeth, but eventually relented, raising his arms as he moved back to stand against the far wall. Terna motioned for Rouvray to drop his weapon and do the same; he obliged and went to stand beside his comrade.

He looke to Ian, still peering out the window, "They will see us. Our only hope is to stay here and hide; they may pass."

"They're coming in," Ian replied gravely as the soldiers crossed the yard and began encircling the house, blocking off all chance of escape.

"It will be the guillotine for all of us!" D'Argenson wailed.

"Shut up and turn around!" Terna snapped at him. Both men did so as she bent down to retrieve Rouvray's gun. "Here, Ian; take this," she passed it to him.

Outside, the group can just make out the sounds of the soldiers talking amongst themselves.

"They're not coming in," Ian remarked.

"No. The intention is to break our nerve," Rouvray replied grimly.

"So they know we're here?" Tern asked.

He nodded. "We were warned to leave or face arrest and execution. Friends warn us, and friends denounce us."

"It seems the soldiers followed you," Ian observed, "Who knew you were taking this road?"

"Who indeed?" Rouvray laughed, but it was without humor, "It's difficult to have secrets these days."

Beside her, Susabn grabbed Terna's arm, "Terna, what about my Grandfather?"

Rouvray looked to her, "The old man? He's upstairs somewhere. D'Argenson? You dealt with him," he added to him.

D'Argenson made to move forward, but Terna trained her gun on him.  
"Oh no, you stay there."

Ian put a hand on her shoulder, "I'll look after him; you go find the Doctor."

The Lyall begrudgingly relented. "Alright."

She lowers her gun and steps back, taking her eyes from D'Argenson for just a moment, but it's long enough for him to rush forward and knock her to the ground. Terna falls to the floor with a crash as the man bolts for the door.

"D'Argenson! Come back! You fool!" Rouvray called after him, but it was no use.

"Terna, are you alright?" Susan rushed over to her just as the Lyall sat up with a groan.

"Yeah," she replied groggily.

"D'Argenson!" Rouvray cried, rushing outside after his friend.

Through the window, the others can see both man enter the courtyard only to be immediately surrounded by the soldiesr.

"Sergeant! It's Rouvray," a Lieutenant calls to his subordinate.

The foot soldiers all train their guns on him. Despite his situation, Rouvray remained chillingly calm. "Don't move! And get away from that man."

"Take him!" the lieutenant ordered the soldiers.

They started forward, but Rouvray held up a hand to stop them. "You'll listen to me!" he commanded, stepping in front of D'Argenson.

The Lieutenant raisd an eyebrow, "So Rouvray, your voice still carries authority, even to my soldiers?"

Rouvray ignored him, gesturing to the soldier closest to him, "You. Come here. Give that to me." He took the musket from the soldier and threw it away before turning back to the lieutenant. "You can give them uniforms, Lieutenant, but they remain peasants underneath."

These words barely leave his lips before a gunshot rains out, and Rouvray goes rigid, falling like a stone.

D'Argenson screamed, and Susan nearly cried out, but Terna clapped a hand over her mouth to silence her while Barbara buried her face in Ian's shoulder. The human looked on, his face ashen.

Outside, D'Argenson tried to break from the ranks, but the soldiers surrounded him and grabbed hold of him. "Let's get the other one! Hold him! Hold him!" one of them called to the others.

Meanwhile, the Lieutenant dropped to one knee and checked Rouvray's body.  
"A desperate attempt, and it very nearly worked," he mused.

He then gestures to the soldiers holding D'Argenson. They shoot him without another word, laughing and hollering gleefully as the second man falls into the mud beside his comrade.

Within the house, the group of time travelers stand rooted to the spot, frozen in complete shock of what they are witnessing.  
Terna's hand curled into a fist. _Those animals. Have they no shame?_

The door suddenly flew open withn a bang, and the sergeant and lieutenant enter the kitchen, disarming Ian in a matter of seconds.  
"My Sergeant was right," the Lieutenant sneered as he restrained him, "It did pay us to look in the house."

"We are not with those men," Ian insisted.

"Silence!" the Lieutenant thundered before turning to the Sergeant, "If any of them speak again without permission, shoot them."

The Sergeant nodded. "The bodies have been removed, Lieutenant. What about these?" he added.

"Outside," the Lieutenant commanded them sharply.

"I will not be ordered," Terna snapped.

"Shoot her," the Lieutenant called to the Sergeant.

"No!" Susan cried, rushing forward.

The Sergeant knocked her aside as he stepped up to Terna.  
"You're a pretty thing," he sneered, reaching up to touch the side of her face, "Why don't you come quietly? I don't want to put a bullet in that lovely face."

Terna recoiled in disgust before spitting in his face. The Sergeant snarled in fury as he backhanded her across the face.

"It's the guillotine for you, wench," the Lieutenant declared. "Outside, all of you."

"Go on, you heard the Lieutenant, move!" the Sargeant added, shoving Barbara and Susan along.

The group was lead into the courtyard and bound hand in foot. Terna didn't get the chance to go for her Omni-Vice and the gun she'd stolen from D'Argenson was lying useless on the farmhouse floor.

The four travelers were all lined up against the back wall of the house. Terna caught a sight of Rouvray and D'Argenson's bodies lying in the mud. Her stomach twisted and her tied palms began to sweat. They were going to shoot her, her and Susan and the others, all of them.  
Could she even die like this? Her old form was immortal, but this shell was very, very fragile. Terna squeezed her eyes shut, her heart hammering against her ribs. She didn't want to find out.

Beside her, Susan was trembling. Terna opened her eyes and moved against her restraints until she could just barely grasp the tip of Susan's finger, closing her thumb around it in the slightest of tender gestures.

The Sergeant stepped forward, "Load muskets!"

"We already have. Get out of the way," a soldier snapped.

"Stop!" the Lieutenant suddenly commanded, "We'll take them to Paris."

"No, we'll shoot them here," the Sergeant insisted.

"We've got the men we came for," the Lieutenant replied.

"Yes, and more. I say we kill them," the soldier that had spoken before asserted.

"Now listen, we also want credit for our additional prisoners," the Lieutenant reminded the others, "LeMaitre may not believe us if he doesn't see them for himself."

"That's true," the soldier admitted.

"And there may be a reward," the Lieutenant added.

The soldier turned to the Sergeant, "I suppose the lieutenant's right, perhaps there is a reward."

The Sergeant seemed to consider this before his face broke into a devious grin, "And besides, why should we do what Madame Guillotine can do so much better?"

"Let's take them to Paris," the soldier announced to the others, "To the guillotine!"

Some other soldiers moved forward and untie the prisoners' feet. Terna can't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Move!" one of them commanded, shoving her forward. Terna grunts in fury, grinding her teet as she tried to twist from her binds, but to no avail.

As Terna, Ian, Susan, and Barbara were lead away, the Sergeant held back, an idea coming to him. "Wait. We'll burn the house down!" he called to the rest of the men.

"No, don't!" Terna cried; she tried to rush forward, but the soldiers hold her back.

The Sergeant lit a tortch and threw it into the hay loft, while the others followed his example. Soon the house itself caught fire, the flames roaring up into the already stifling July air.

"Grandfather!" Susan screamed as the flames rose higher.

"Doctor! Doctor! I'll kill them. I swear I'll kill them!" Terna cried, continuing to twist in the soldiers' grips, trying desperately to break free.

"We have to go back. We have to!" Susan shrieked, tears pouring down her checks as one of the guards hoisted her off her feet and carried her away, kicking and screaming.

"Susan, there's nothing we can do," Barbara attempted to calm her down.

"What about Grandfather?" Susan sobbed.

"I'm sure he got out, Susan," Barbara soothed.

Ian dropped his eyes, "I hope so."

"Get moving!" a soldier barked.

As they moved away from the burning house, no one noticed the boy from before come out of the bushes.

Inside the farmhouse, the Doctor woke up to a room full of smoke and heat. He staggered to his feet and rushed over to the door, pounding against it only to find it locked.  
"Hello! Hello!" he called desperately, "Can you hear me? Get me out!"

The smoke filled the room, and the roof began to fall in.

()()()

"Are we to be allowed to tell our story?" Barbara asked of the judge.

"Prisoners are not required to speak," the judge replied, rifling through a collection of papers, "I have the charges here: you were found in the house with Rouvray and D'Argenson and arrested by a platoon of soldiers. I am satisfied as to your guilt as being in the company of wanted traitors. The sentence: immediate execution!"

"This is absurd," Terna cried, "I demand the right to speak."

"You have no rights," the judge thundered, "You will be guillotined as soon as it can be arranged. Take them to the cells!"

The four new prisoners of the Concierge prison are lead down a dank, musty hallway by the head Jailer and another guard.

The former opened a door to a cell that contained another man lying restless and feverish on a cot in the corner. He shoved Ian inside the room.  
"Stay back, by the wall," he ordered him.

"Ian!" Barbara tried to go to him, but the other guard held her back/

"Where are you taking him?" Susan demanded.

"You will stop this now!" Terna commanded, breaking free of her restraints and tackling the jailer to the ground.

"Get off me. Keep hold of her, can't you?" the Jailer snarled, throwing Terna off him and back into the hold of the other guard. He turned back to Ian, "I told you to stay back by the wall."

"Let go of me!" Terna cried, struggling against the other man. He pulled her back as she thrashed and kicked, "Let me go or I swear I'll cut _your_ head off!" She managed to get a hand free and dove for the Omni-Vice in her dress pocket.

"Give me that!" the guard snatched it and tossed it out the window.

"No! You repulsive leech!" Terna elbowed him in the nose and he fell to the ground.

"Terna!" Susan called to her as the Lyall tried to run.

"Get over here, you!" the Jailer grabbed her arm and yanked her back.

"Let go of me!" Terna tried to hit him.

The Jailer knocked her against the wall; she fell to the floor and he kicked her in the stomach. Terna cried out as she fell backward and down a flight of steps.

"Terna!" Susan raced down the steps and knelt down beside her as she sat up with a groan.

Barbara got between them and the Jailer, "Stop this!"

The Jailer regarded her smugly, his grime-covered face splits into a sinister grin, showing yellow teeth, "Ladies like you shouldn't be kept in this pig sty." He gestured to his belt, "'Course, I have the keys. It wouldn't be very difficult to leave a few doors open, now, would it?"

Barbara bit her lip, "No, of course not, but I couldn't pay you; I don't have any money."

"The soldiers in this place, they're nothing but peasants," the Jailer continued, taking a step closer to her, "Not fit company for an intelligent man like myself. Gets very lonely in here sometimes. Very lonely indeed. Now, if we were to be friends, eh?" He reached up to touch the side of her face.

Barbara recoiled and slapped him across the face.

The man jerked his head to the side with a grunt of pain. "You'll regret that! I promise you," he spat just as the guard came back over, rubbing his nose. "Here! Lock them away," he said to him.  
The other man picked up a still winded Terna and grabbed Susan with his other arm, leading them over to the cell beside Ian's  
"No, in there," the Jailer corrected him, pointing to the cell across the hall, "It's the cell I keep for my _special_ guests."

The guard shoved Terna and Susan into the cell the Jailer had indicated, and he pushed Barbara in soon after.

The room is small and almost completely dark save for a small barred window several feet off the floor. The walls, floor, and ceiling are all made of rough, brown stone. There's straw on the floor and a cot attached to the far wall covered in filthy blankets.

The cells smelled awful, like rotting flesh.  
Susan covered her nose, "The smell in here. Oh, it's terrible!"

The Jailer chuckled as he slammed the door behind him; the three women heard the sound of the key jiggling in the lock and then the heavy footsteps of him and the other guard walking away.

Terna glanced around the cell, her eyes blazing with fury, "This is awful. I'm a queen for God's sake! I can't think of anything more demoralizing." She collapsed onto the cot with a groan of frustration.

Barbara nodded, her pale lips pursed, "Yes, it reminds me of when we were prisoners before, in the prehistoric age."

"Don't remind me of that."

"Oh, yes. I remember," Susan added, "But there was one very important difference: Grandfather and Ian were with us then." She looked over to the window where rays of late-evening light could just be seen pouring through it. "I wish I could see where we were." She went over to the bunk and tried to stand on it, but she still wasn't tall enough to see. "Oh. You'll have to lift me up, Terna. Terna?"

Terna glanced up from where she'd been resting her head in her hands. "Sorry, my head's just bothering me; that guy really nailed me."

"Here, Susan; I'll help you," Barbara said to her.

Barbara lifted Susan up to the window.

Susan peered through the window, "I can't see very much down there; it's just a prison yard." She jumped down from cot and sat beside Terna, burying her face in her hands. "Oh, if only we knew where Grandfather was."

"He'd have gotten out of that house, Susan," Barbara reassured her, putting a hand on her shoulder, "I know he would've."

Terna looked at her, her expression grim, "I can only hope you're right, for all our sakes."

()()()

When the Doctor came to, he found himself lying against a tree with a horrible headache and a pain in his throat. "What? What's happened?" he groaned, grasping his head, "Where am I?"

"Here. Drink this, monsieur," a voice said to him.

The Doctor looked over in surprise to see the boy from before holding out a cup of water to him. "Oh, thank you," he took the cup and drained it in a single gulp; the cold water felt great running down his dry throat.

He looked around to see that he and the boy were alone in the forest cleaning, "Where are my friends, hmm?"

"The soldiers set fire to the farmhouse and took them to Paris, to the Conciergerie Prison," the boy replied, "They'll be locked up there before they go to the guillotine."

The Doctor dropped his drink, "What?! And you saw this?"

The boy nodded, "Oui, monsieur; they lead them down the road over yonder back to the city," he gestured behind him as he spoke, "They said they were all to be executed."

"Even little Susan?" the Doctor exclaimed, "But why not me?

"They took you for dead when the house caught fire."

"Hmm, I thought so too as a matter of fact," the Doctor mused, shivering as he recalled waking up trapped in a burning building, "So much smoke…I can't seem to remember how I managed to escape."

"I pulled you out, monsieur."

The Doctor gaped. "You did?"

"Oui."

The Time Lord grinned in spite of himself, "Oh, what a very brave boy."

"Are you feeling all right now, monsieur?" the boy inquired.

"Yes, I think so," the Doctor replied, "But what had happened that had caused my friends to be arrested?"

"There were two men hiding in the house; one of them knocked you over the head, then the soldiers came, and the two men were shot and your friends arrested."

"Oh, that's a tragic business."

"But you can still escape," the boy insisted, "My mother can give you some food; our farm isn't far away. Just over there." He pointed over towards the trees.

"And the road beyond it?" the Doctor inquired, "You mentioned it leads to Paris."

"Oui, it does, monsieur."

"Yes, well, I appreciate the offer, but I must rescue my friends," the Doctor declared, getting to his feet.

"But you mustn't do that, monsieur!" the boy insisted, grabbing his arm, "You'll be captured, sent to the guillotine."

"You saved me, my boy, so I must now rescue them," the Doctor reassured him, "Now you can understand that, can't you?"

"Yes," the boy hung his head, "I wish I could go with you, but since my father was taken away; he told me to look after my mother."

"Yes, yes, yes. Now, you're the head of the house," the Doctor smiled in understanding, "Yes, well, thank you. Thank you for everything. Oh, and what's your name?" he added.

"Jean-Pierre."

"I shall remember. Yes, Jean-Pierre," the Doctor saluted him as he turned to leave, "Au revoir, Monsieur Captain."

()()()

In their cell, Terna, Susan and Barbara pretended to be asleep when the Jailer looked in.

Barbara lifted her head as soon as she could hear the sound of his retreating footsteps, "He's going."

"Oh, what's the use?" Susan wailed, "We'll never get out of this dreadful place."

"Oh, you mustn't lose heart, Susan," Barbara tried to reassure her.

"I'm not going to fool myself," Susan mumbled.

"Well, think of the times we've been in trouble before," Terna reminded her, "We've always managed to get out of it in the end."

"Oh, we've been lucky," Susan asserted, "We can't go on being lucky; things catch up with you.

"I've never heard you talk like this before," Terna remarked, "You're usually so optimistic."

Susan dropped her eyes, "I want to know about Grandfather."

"You're not alone there," Terna admitted.

"I'm sure he's all right," Barbara insisted.

"You keep on saying that," Susan cried, "I just want to know, that's all."

"Look, we should try and get out of here," Barbara declared, "It hasn't always been luck, you know. We made our own opportunities. Didn't you notice that we came past the river to get here?"

"Oh, you're not going to dig your way out, are you?" Susan wailed.

"Well, why not?"

"Its solid stone," Susan reminded her.

Babara ignored her, moving over to the wall where she felt about the worn stone, "Hey, there's a damp patch in the wall here. Hmm. Maybe a sewer leading to the river."

"But what are we going to dig with?" Terna asked, "I don't have my Omni-Vice, they threw it out the window." She grimaced at the memory, "Damn, if I had that thing we'd be out of this cell by now."

"Well, there's gotta be something around here," Barbara insisted, "Just a crowbar of sorts, maybe not necessarily to dig our way out, but I might be able to lever up one of those stones with."

"Here. Get up a second, Susan," Terna urged the young Time Lady off the cot and then yanked up a worn cross-strut from the bedframe. "Use this." She handed it to Barbara.

Barbara nodded to her in thanks before turning to Susan, "Go over there and keep your eye open for the Jailer."

The young girl obliged while the two woman got to work levying a rock out from the wall. They'd just managed to get one of the looser of the stones from the wall when the Jailer and a guard walked by their cell leading along another prisoner.

"Shh!" Susan hissed to them.

"Put him in there," the Jailer ordered the guard, who shoved the battered man into the cell next to Ian's.

The Jailer looked towards the door to said room to see Ian looking out through the bars, "Tell your friend not to make so much noise; you'll give the place a bad name."

Ian stepped back from door and turned back towards his cell mate, who was still lying on the cot. He turned his milk white face, slick with sweat, towards him and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Ian," he whispered, "My side's hurting again."

The other man nodded in understanding as he knelt down beside him to examine his poorly wrapped wound. "The bleeding's stopped, Webster. You've lost a lot of blood."

The man, Webster, nodded. "As soon as we were arrested, we couldn't wait to pull the trigger." He choked, "Is there any more water?"

"Yes. Must be about the last of it," Ian replied, reaching for a small tin of water and holding it up to Webster's lips. "You know, I've looked this place over, and it isn't impossible to escape."

"It is for me, and you know it," Webster replied, choking somewhat on the water, "I'll never get up from here. Listen, you're an Englishman," he grabbed Ian's arm, his voice full of urgency, "You must help me."

"How?"

"One day soon, France will stop this madness and turn her full attention across the channel. We must be ready for that day," Webster explained, "There's a man in France, Englishman, working to that end. He will tell us when that day is near. Do you understand?"

"England at war with France? Yes, I know that."

"I was sent to bring this man home to England; the day nears that his information is important," his grip tightened on Ian's arm, his wide eyes shining in the half-light, "Find him, if you can. Try to escape. T-Try…P-Promise to find J-James Stirling, and send him h-home. P-Promise… Promise!

"Yes, yes. James Stirling," Ian reassured him, "Find James Stirling, and tell him to get back to England. He has important information. I understand, and I promise. Where shall I find him, Webster?"

"J-Jules Renan," Webster replied quietly.

"Jules Renan, yes."

"The s-sign of Le Ch-Chien Gris."

"Le Chien Gris."

Webster squeezed Ian's arm one last time before his grip went slack, and his eyes slipped closed.

()()()

The Doctor had been walking along the road to Paris for several hours; the sun was hot on the back of his neck, and his feet were beginning to ache without the aid of his cane. As he'd walked, he'd encountered no one for some time, but he eventually came across a small group of workmen digging at potholes along the dirt road, managed by an Overseer.

"Come on, put your backs into it!" the man called, "You can work faster than that."

"Good day, sir," the Doctor greeted him.

"Yes, it is," the Overseer replied. He was a large fellow with a big red face that sweat like a pig. He had a large gut and rather fine clothes for the era; his pockets bulged with the distinctive shapes of many gold coins.

"I wonder if you can assist me," the Doctor continued, "I'm bound for Paris. Am I still on the right road?"

"You are."

"Splendid. Splendid, I was beginning to have my doubts," the Doctor admitted, "I haven't seen a soul for hours."

"You've come a long way?" the Overseer inquired.

"Yes. Further than you would think."

"Get on with your work!" the Overseer turned to bark more orders at the men, all of whom looked thoroughly exhausted, smothered by the July heat. "Nobody told you to stop. I have to watch them all the time," he added to the Doctor. "I don't even know why they bother to put them to work. You know what I'd do with tax dodgers?"

"Oh, so they're not volunteers, eh?" the Doctor asked, somewhat uncomfortable.

"Volunteers? Ha! I have to watch them every second. I'm given a schedule: finish this section by tomorrow, they told me. And if I don't- ."

"Yes, quite a responsibility," the Doctor agreed hurriedly.

"But it'll be finished," the Overseer proclaimed, "Even if I have to drive every one of them into the ground."

"Yes, I see you believe in drastic measures, eh?" the Doctor replied knowingly.

"Now, put your backs into it. Look as if you mean it," the Overseer turned once more to yell at his men, all of whom just continued to somberly strike at the ground, "The sooner it's finished, the better it'll be for all of us."

"I'm sure you're very experienced at this job, my man," the Doctor commended, "But, as an impartial onlooker, I think I might have a bit of an advice to give you."

"Well, I'll listen to anything that'll get this job finished quickly," the Overseer replied.

"Well, if you were to expend your energy_ helping_ with the road, instead of bawling and shouting at them every few seconds, you might be able to get somewhere," the Doctor snapped before turning to leave, "Good day to you, sir!"

He'd barely taken a step before the man grabbed his shoulder, "I suppose you think you're very clever."

The Doctor smiled smugly, "Well, without any undue modesty, yes! Now, would you mind letting go of me?"

"Show me your papers, or something to prove your identity," the man snarled in response.

"I am not in the habit of-" the Doctor started, but the Overseer cut him off.

"I see. You can't prove your identity," he grinned deviously, "Have you paid your taxes?"  
The Doctor didn't respond.  
"No? Then perhaps you'd join the poor wretches and put your energy to better use. Give him a pick," he hollered over to the men.

One of them wordlessly shuffled over and handed the Time Lord a pick axe.

"Now get to work, skinny" the Overseer snarled, shoving the Doctor forward, "I shouldn't try to run away. Remember, I've got this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun.

"Common fellow," the Doctor grumbled. He was really happy his schoolmates from the Academy weren't here to see this.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get to work!" the Overseer snapped, "I'll complete that schedule yet."

Biting his tongue, the Doctor shoved his pick axe into the ground and began pulling up the dirt.

()()()

As the rays of pale sunlight bleeding through the bars of their cell grew longer and longer, Terna and Barbara continued to tear away at the soft mud that lay beyond the stone paving of the wall. Susan, meanwhile, kept watch by the door.

Despite how little time they'd been working, they'd actually made pretty good progress.

"Oh, I must rest; it's tearing my hands to pieces," Barbara exclaimed, rubbing at her red, blistered fingers.

"Well, shall I take over?" Terna offered.

"No, no. Your hands are worse than mine," Barbara asserted, noting that the Lyall's hands were actually bleeding.

"I wonder what Ian's doing," Susan mused from her spot by the door. She turned to the other two, "Barbara, I think I'll work; it'll take my mind off things."

"Alright," the human woman passed the young Time Lady the piece of metal from their bed. Susan walked over to the spot they'd been working on and made to strike at the damp stonework; however, she hit her hand instead.

"Ow!" Susan dropped the pipe and clasped at her hand, which was now a seething red.

"Oh, here: let me see," Terna offered, taking her hand and examining it thoroughly, "Don't worry, nothing's broken," she eventually deduced.

"Come on, we'll rest," Barbara urged them.

"I can't do it, Barbara," Susan whimpered.

"We'll start again later; we've make good progress," Barbara assured her, "We should be through soon."

"It takes so long," Susan exclaimed, "Still, we have done well, haven't we?"

"Someone's coming!" Terna suddenly cried, and Barbara quickly yanked the blankets off the cot and stuffed them into the hole they'd made in the wall.

A small door in the bottom of the door was thrust open with a loud creak, and the Jailer shoved a tray with three bowls on it through the slot, "There's your food. A waste if you ask me," he grunted, "What are they doing down there?" He gestured to the blankets.

"What?" Barbara played dumb.

"The blankets," the Jailer snapped impatiently, "I'm responsible for everything in the cells. Pick them up! It gets cold at night; you'll get no others."

Barbara relented, moving to pull them off the ground while Terna plopped down on the ground in front of the wall to keep the hole hidden.

Before the Jailer could say anything else, a voice suddenly called to him from across the hall. "Jailer!"

"Who's that?" Terna inquired.

"LeMaitre," the Jailer replied as though this was obvious.

"Jailer!"

"Coming, Citizen!" the Jailer called back before hurrying off.

()()()

LeMaitre, who was the warden of the prison, was a poised, dignified man with jet black hair and a clear expression. He stood in the middle of Ian's cell, the prisoner in question forced to stand facing the wall with his hands held over his head.  
"How long has he been dead?" LeMaitre inquired of him.  
No response, "I asked how long he's been dead."

"Several hours, Citizen," Ian replied, his face almost as pale as his deceased cellmate. An obvious response to him having just spent five hours alone in a prison cell with a dead body.

"Did he speak?

"No," Ian shook his head, "No, he didn't."

At that moment, the Jailer entered. LeMaitre gritted his teeth at the man's tardiness.  
"Come with me," he said to him before sweeping out of the room, the Jailer lumbering after him, making sure to lock Ian's cell door securely behind him.

LeMaitre strode down to the end of the hall where the Jailer's office was; if you could even call it that, for it was really just a remodeled cell.

The Jailer followed him in, closing and locking the door behind them.

As soon as he'd done so, LeMaitre spun around to face him. "I'll ask you once more: did they talk to each other?"

"Well, they may have done so, Citizen, but, well…" the Jailer trailed off, wringing his hands nervously.

LeMaitre's eyes narrowed. "Just simply tell me if you heard their voices," he said, his voice thin from impatience.

"Yes. Well, yes, Citizen. I did," the Jailer admitted, "I don't know what they said, but I definitely heard them speak, but not for long."

LeMaitre considered his words. "Let me have the execution list," he finally ordered.

"At once, Citizen!" the Jailer replied, passing him the list.

LeMaitre examined it keenly. "The other prisoner in that cell, which one is he?"

"Ian Chesterton."

LeMaitre nodded before taking a quill and crossing off the name 'Ian Chesteron' from the list.

"Have the body removed from the cell," he concluded, putting the quill back in the ink well and handing the Jailer the list.

"Yes, Citizen."

()()()

Never in a million years did Terna think she'd put something in her mouth that had the same color and consistency as old paste. Barbara and Susan dug into their 'meal' with vigor as well.

"I was sure he'd discover that," Susan remarked, gesturing to the hole they'd made in the wall.

"Yes, so was I," Barbara agreed.

"Seems our luck's holding out yet," Terna declared, choking on a mouthful of food. She glanced down at it, "You know, I no idea how hungry I could be, or what I'd eat."

Susan nodded in agreement before setting her bowl down and getting to her feet, "I think I'll get back to work now."

"Oh no, it was my turn, Susan," Terna insisted, standing up as well.

"No, it's all right," Susan replied, grabbing the tool and heading over to the wall. However, as she bent down beside the hole, there was the distinct sound of many tiny shrieks echoing from the whole beyond.

Susan screamed and jumped back.  
"What is it?" Barbara cried, rushing over to her.

"Rats!" Susan wailed, covering her face with her hands.

"Rats?" Barbara's own face went very white as she took a step back

"They must have smelt the food," Susan whimpered, "Barbara, Terna, there's rats down there."

Barbara tentatively rushed forward, stuffing the blankets into the hole they've made, thoroughly plugging it up.

Despite the threat now being averted, tears still pooled in Susan's eyes. Terna moved over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. The young Time Lady turned and buried her face in her chest, much to the older woman's surprise, "Terna, I can't do it anymore," Susan sobbed, "I'm sorry. Not with those down there. I can't do it! I can't!"

Terna swallowed, attempting to comfort her. "They won't come in. Not now," she whispered, trailing her fingers through Susan's short black hair, "We won't do any more digging. We'll just stay where we are."

_That is, until they come for us._

()()()

The Doctor's arms ached; he could barely raise his pick axe above his head. He's knees buckled under him and sweat trickled thickly down the side of his face. He paused to catch his breath and dabbed his brow with a handkerchief.  
As he did so, he glanced over to the Overseer, who was sitting on a rock, tentatively counting the pile of gold coins he'd taken from his pockets.

"It's the tenth time he's counted his wealth," he remarked to another of the workers.

"He does it all the time," the man replied with a shrug, "Some of us thinks he likes money better than he likes himself."

"Do any of you have any money, hmm?" the Doctor asked him.

"Would we be here if we had?" the man answered, laughing without humor.

The Doctor grimaced, noting that probably was a stupid question. "You want to leave here, don't you?"

"Well, yes, but how?" the man demanded, "He never goes anywhere without that pistol, and he never turns his back."

"Well, do as I say," the Doctor replied simply, "Follow me."

He then put down his pick and pointed up into the sky as though he was referring to something important, the other man followed his finger with the same look of intrigue.  
"Ah! Ah, ha! Yes, there it is," the Doctor exclaimed loudly, causing many of the other workers to halt in their digging and look towards them in bewilderment.

The Overseer saw them as well and instantly pocketed his coins as he stalked over to them. "What's this? What are you staring at?"

"We're waiting for the eclipse. Look," the Doctor replied, pointing in the direction of the sun.

The Overseer squinted up into the nearly unbearably bright light, unconvinced. "Eclipse?"

"He said the moon is going to pass in front of the sun at any moment," the other worker explained. "See! Look!" he pointed eagerly.

"Yes, you've heard about it, haven't you?" the Doctor asked the Overseer.

"Yes, yes. I've heard."

"It's quite a phenomenon, isn't it?" the Doctor asked.

"All right, all right," the man exclaimed forcefully, "We'll see it when it happens. Until then, get back to work. Now!"

As he spoke, the Doctor slipped his hand into the man's bulging pocket and pulled out a handful of the gold coins, quickly dropping them into the soil and covered them. As the Overseer began to walk away, he dropped to his knees and fished around in the dirt, pretending to find them again.

"Ah! Look!" he said loudly, jumping to his feet and holding the coin aloft, "Look at the coin!"

The Overseer whirled around, "What's wrong now?"

"I've just found this coin down there," the Doctor explained, "It must come from some hidden treasure."

"Treasure?" the other man scoffed, "More likely dropped by a passing traveler."

"No, no, definitely a hidden treasure," the Doctor insisted.

"Now where were you digging?" the man demanded, perking up slightly.

"Just there. Just there."

The Overseer shoved him aside and dropped to the ground, beginning to furiously dig into the dirt. "Here's another!" he cried, holding up a second coin.

"Catch his spade! Stop!" the Doctor ordered another man, who'd begun digging as well.

"Just stand back! It's nothing to do with you," the Overseer thundered, "I'll do the digging, and then it'll be mine. Now stand back."

Everyone obliged while the Doctor grabbed a shovel and whacked the Overseer on the back of the head. The man went rigid before falling face first into the dirt.

"Sacre bleu!" the other worker exclaimed; however he didn't stick around for long and neither did his companions as all the tax dodgers bolted from the spot in every direction.

The Doctor watched them go, a satisfied smirk on his face before turning to the unconscious Overseer, "Good day to you, sir! Pleasant dreams."

()()()

The door to the women's cell was flung open and the Jailer lumbered in.  
"All right you three, come on out. Stand in line," he ordered him.

Slowly, the women reluctantly obliged, coming out of the foul-smelling cell and lining up in the hall.

"Where's Ian?" Susan demanded.

The Jailer chuckled, "Was that your friend? He was lucky: LeMaitre crossed him off the list." He motioned to two guards who bound their wrists, "You're not so fortunate. This batch for the guillotine! Take them away!"

()()()

The evening shadows stretched longer and longer as the sun sank further below the Conciergerie. Jean and Jules Renan stood crouched in the darkness pouring out from the dismal building. There was supposed to be one more execution scheduled for the day.

Jean shifted impatiently, running his fingers through his sandy blonde hair, "A tumbril should have passed by now, Jules."

"You must try and cultivate patience, my friend," Jules Renan replied, pulling slightly on his short black beard, "It will stand you in good stead."

"I will never get used to the waiting," Jean spat, "If only it wasn't so quiet."

"That's why we're here, Jean," Jules reminded him, "A crowded street and a successful rescue will never mix."

"I know, but it is late. Perhaps they've taken another route?"

"No, they'll come this way; they always do," Jules asserted, "Are you ready?"

"Yes, I'm ready. How many soldiers do you think there'll be?"

"Five, maybe six." Jules seemed oddly relaxed about the idea.

"It's a pity Leon isn't with us today," Jean mused, "The odds would have been more favorable."

'Yes, I admit Leon would have been a great help, but don't forget we have surprise on our side. It is worth three men."

Jean looked towards the prison gates thoughtfully, "They must have left the prison later than usual."

()()()

Ian sat alone in his cell, feeling as though a huge cinderblock was crushing his chest. The Jailer came in after a time, carrying a bowl of mucky gruel on a tray.  
"If you want some food, get back against the wall and stay there!" he barked.

Ian did so, albeit reluctantly; although, he had no intention to eat the food; his appetite had completely left him after watching Barbara, Susan, and Terna being lead to the guillotine through his cell window.

After putting the tray of food on the floor, the Jailer stepped back out of the cell and made ot relock the door.  
"Jailer!" LeMaitre's sharp voice called out from down the hall.

The Jailer jumped. "Yes, Citizen? Yes?"

"Here. Immediately!" LeMaitre ordered.

"Coming. Coming, Citizen!" the Jailer scrambled, fumbling with the keys.

"Jailer!" LeMaitre's voice was getting more impatient by the minute.

The key has stuck in the lock, but the Jailer didn't have time to yank it free, with the way LeMaitre was yelling, he might be next for the guillotine if he didn't move quickly. Eventually, he decided to leave it where it is and rushed down the hall towards the warden's office.

"Didn't you hear me calling you?" LeMaitre demanded once the Jailer had stumbled in.

"I'm sorry, Citizen, I came as fast as I could," the man explained breathlessly,  
"I was busy with the food."

"Prison food is unimportant!" LeMaitre snapped, "You realize that Robespierre will be asking to see the execution figures?"

"I have them ready, Citizen," the Jailer asserted, fumbling with the papers as he produced a list from his pocket.

"I hope for your sake that they're satisfactory," LeMaitre declared darkly, snatching the papers from him and unfolded them to examine the list, "Otherwise, instead of being jailer here, you could find yourself a prisoner."

()()()

As Ian went to get his bowl, he paused to look through the bars of his door and noticed the keys were still in the lock. Cautiously, he reached through the bars and gently worked the keys out of the lock.  
He then took his own cell key from the cluster and then, after some frantic struggling, managed to put the rest in the lock again. Finally, he sat down on the ground and grabbed his bowl of gruel, appetite somewhat restored.

()()()

"Good, good," LeMaitre was saying as he perused the list of executions.

"Thank you, Citizen, thank you," the Jailer bowed respectfully, "My only wish is to serve the cause to the best of my ability."

"Nevertheless, loyalty should not go unrewarded," LeMaitre remarked.

"Citizen, I seek no reward."

"That is as it should be, but I shall see to it that your name is mentioned in the right quarter," LeMaitre replied with a slight smile.

With that, the warden left; the Jailer looked after him, basking in his compliments before remembering the keys still stuck in the lock. Frantic, he raced down the hall to Ian's cell. Casting the man a suspicious glance, he removed the keys from the door, stuffed them into his pocket, and left.

()()()

Terna, Babrara, and Susan had been loaded onto a tumbril upon exiting the prison. The crude, topless carriage was to take them to the square where the guillotine was waiting. Terna wasn't entirely sure exactly what a guillotine was, but she could surmise well enough that it was some kind of execution device. Either way, if something didn't happen soon, she'd be dead by dark.

The tumbril moved along at a sickeningly slow place. Terna stood erect at the front of the carriage, hands tied together by ropes in front of her. Barbara stood beside her; her pale face barely concealing her fear. Susan, white as milk, was crying quietly beside her.  
Wordlessly, Terna reached over and squeezed her hand.

Suddenly, the tumbril gave a great lurch as it came to a unexpected stop.

"Susan, Terna," Barbara hissed as the two guards at the front of the tumbril jumped down from the driver's seat and moved over to the horse pulling the car. "I think the horse has thrown a shoe. The moment they start to unhitch it, we'll make a run for it."

"I don't think I can, Barbara," Susan whimpered, "I don't feel very well."

"What? What's wrong?" Terna asked, gripping her arm and turning the girl towards her. Her wide eyes were bloodshot, and her face was slightly green.

"I-I don't know," Susan shook her head as she leaned heavily against her, "I just feel weak."

"Look, we'll help you," Barbara urged, grabbing her wrist, "But you must make an effort."

Susan nodded weakly. "All right. I'll do my best."

"Good." Barbara nodded astutely, "Now, as soon as they start to lead the horse away-."

She's cut off by the shrieking laughter coming from the upstairs window of a nearby house. The three women whirl around to see two French ladies cackling down at them from the second floor of their house.

"What are you laughing at, you damn broads?" Terna snarled.

"Ignore them, Terna," Barbara urged, "Susan, are you ready? Come on, now."

Susan made to move but staggered heavily, stumbling into Terna. "Oh, I can't! You two go without me."

"Don't be silly," Terna cried, struggling to keep her upright, "Come on! Pull yourself together!"

"Oh, my head's splitting, and my back's aching," Susan whimpered, tears of frustration and pain pooling in her eyes.

"All right, Susan. It's all right," Barbara tried to comfort her.

No sooner had she spoken, that the sound of two gunshots sang out. All three of the prisoners whirled around to see both of the guards in the front of the tumbril drop like stones as two men appeared out of the shadows.  
The darker haired of the two shot the third guard on the back of the carriage before he had the chance to grab his own weapon.

"Come on," his sandy-haired companion called to them, jumping up onto the tumbril, cutting their binds and leading them off the carriage and away into the steadily growing darkness of the city.

()()()

As the sun continued to set, the Doctor entered a quaint little tailor shop that stood on a corner only a few streets over from the Conciergerie.

"Good evening, Citizen," the Tailor called to him.

"Good evening," the Doctor replied.

"I was just about to close my humble shop," the Tailor admitted, "But if I can be of service…"

"Yes, yes, very likely."

"Did you see the executions today, Citizen?" the Tailor inquired, coming around the counter and moving towards him.

The Doctor instinctively took a step back. "No. No, I didn't.

"I missed them too," the Tailor sounded disappointed, "Citizen Robespierre is doing a fine job, don't you think, hounding out the traitors?"

"Yes, splendid fellow," the Doctor replied distractedly, "You seem to be very interested in these traitors."

"I consider it my duty," the Tailor replied simply.

"Then perhaps you can confirm that newly arrested prisoners are taken to the, what is it, the Conciergerie Prison? Hmm?"

"That is correct, Citizen," the Tailor confirmed, "As a matter of fact, you can see the prison from the end of the street here."

The Doctor nodded as he moved over to peruse a rack of coats lining the walls. He paused to examine a large black garment.

"A wise choice, Citizen," the Tailor commended, "There is no finer set of apparel in all of Paris."

"Yes, I was thinking of something new along these lines," the Doctor agreed.

"It would certainly be more suitable than what you're wearing at present."

The Doctor scowled at the Tailor's remark but then noticed a red, white, and blue sash hanging on the rack. "That's very impressive."

"Yes, Citizen," the Tailor agreed, "It signifies the position of Regional Officer of the Provinces."

"Yes, I'm quite aware of that," the Doctor replied. "Quite aware. Yes. In fact, it's a post that I myself personally occupy."

The Tailor was dumbstruck. "I see; I'm sorry, Citizen."

"Don't apologize," the Doctor waved his hand dismissively, "Now, I want to try that on." He gestured to the Regional Officer uniform.

"Certainly, Citizen. The quality is unmatched, and in comparison, the price."

"The price is of no matter," the Doctor replied simply, "I haven't any money."

The Tailor gaped. "No money?"

"No. No, I though possibly we could arrange an exchange." The Doctor took of his tailcoat and passed it to him.

The Tailor examined it, unimpressed. "For this?"

"What's wrong with it?" the Doctor demanded indignantly.

"Nay, it's little better than a fancy dress outfit."

"A fancy dress-?" the Doctor spluttered, "My dear sir, I doubt that you've seen a coat quite like it."

"I haven't," the Tailor admitted.

"Am I correct to assume that you're not interested?"

The Tailor shifted uncomfortably, "You realize there is not much call for a-"

"Have you had a similar coat like this in your shop?" the Doctor interrupted.

"Never."

"Then I can understand why there has been no call."

The Tailor fingered the coat again, "It is a heavy material, I grant you, and perhaps with a few alterations...You are offering the entire outfit?"

"Exactly. Of course."

"Yes, well, I shall require something else too," the Tailor declared, "Like that ring you're wearing, for example."

He pointed to the black stone ring that Doctor always wore on the ring finger of his right hand.

The Doctor fell silent, fingering the ring. His hesitation may have seemed fickle; however the ring was the only remaining object he had from his father. But his friends…his granddaughter.  
Susan, Terna, they'd be dead soon if he didn't hurry, if they weren't dead already.

"You may have it," he finally agreed, "Providing you agree to let me have parchment and writing materials into the bargain, hmm?"

"Very well."

The Doctor held out his hand, and the Tailor shook it. "Then we have a bargain, my dear sir."

()()()

Terna, Barbara, and Susan were lead through the steadily darkening streets by the men that had rescued them. Eventually, the came to the home of the darker-haired of the two, and he told them he'd agreed to put them up for as long as it was needed.

The first thing that was in order was a proper meal. Susan cleared her plate in a matter of minutes.  
"Thank you," she exclaimed, setting down her fork and spoon, "I feel better already."

Jean turned to the woman that had served them their food, "Danielle?" He passed her the empty plates, and she took them away.

"Jules's sister," he explained to their guests, "We have closed the rest of the house and sent the servants away. It is safer."

"I expect you'd like a bath and some food," Danielle said to Susan as she reentered the dining room, "I'll prepare it for you. Jean, will you help me?"

He nodded, and the two went upstairs.

"It is not exactly a palace, but you're all very welcome here," Jules added.

"What can I say?" Barbara exclaimed, still very much overwhelmed, "I can't begin to thank you."

"Yeah, if you two hadn't shown up when you did we'd be goners," Terna agreed.

"Oh, please," Jules waved his hand dismissively, "I insist you do not even mention it. It is one of my rules."

"All right, but we don't even know your name," Barbara reminded them.

"And that is another of my rules," Jules explained, "Christian names only: the less my friends and I know, the less we can admit to when questioned. So permit me: I am Jules."

"Barbara; this is Susan," Barbara gestured to the young girl, who was digging in to the dinner rolls.

"You can call me Terna."

Jules raised an eyebrow at her. "Rather unusual. Is it foreign?"

"You could say that."

At that moment, Jean and Danielle returned from upstairs.  
"This is my sister, Danielle. She's looking after us," Jules introduced them, "This is my young friend, Jean."

"How do you do," Barbara shook the latter's hand.

"I expect you're wondering what is going to happen to you," Jules remarked, "Well, after you have eaten, you must rest. Then tomorrow we will make arrangements to smuggle you away from France."

"No, we can't!" Susan cried, nearly jumping to her feet, but Terna grabbed her arm to steady her.

"As much as I'd like to get out of this crazy country I'm afraid we can't accept your help," she explained.

Jules looked shocked. "Why not?"

"My Grandfather," Susan said quietly.

"Yes, and Ian," Barbara reminded them, "He's still in the prison."

()()()

Ian pressed his face against the bars of his cell, the rusted metal digging into his cheek.  
"Jailer?" he hollered before reaching through the bars and unlocking the door. Cautiously, he stepped out into the corridor, turning to relock Ian relock the door behind him before carefully moving up the corridor.

To his surprise, as he came around the corner, Ian found the Jailer lying on his back in the middle of the hall; the large gash on his forehead was an obvious sign that he'd been knocked out by some blunt object.  
However, Ian doesn't stick around much longer as he sprinted towards the exit to the Concierge.  
Unseen, LeMaitre stepped out of one of the empty cells, watching Ian leave with a pensive expression.  
" Did Webster give you a message for James Stirling or not? We shall see. We shall see."

()()()

The three recently liberated prisoners sat around the table with Jules while Danielle and Jean cleared away the last of the dinner plates, all of whom were satisfied at having access to a full and proper meal after hours in that dank prison.

"I do feel better after that," Susan declared.

"Here, let me help," Barbara offered to Danielle as she moved to take her plate away.

"No, Barbara. You stay where you are," the other woman reassured her, "Jean and I can manage."

"Now, you both agreed to tell me your story," Jules reminded her as Danielle departed for the kitchen.

"Yes, what about the map?" Susan inquired.

"Oh, yes." Jules got up from the table and went over to a sideboard where he produced an elaborate piece of parchment with a map scripted across it. He spread the large piece of paper out on the table, "Here we are".

Susan bent over the map, trailing her finger over the slightly crinkled page, "Now according to the sun's position, we were traveling south," she said.

"Yes, let's see," Terna mused, pointing to a cluster of trees, "Forest should be in this area, here."

"Yes, and there was a group of houses, wasn't there?" Susan added.

"Yes," Barbara replied. "Turn it round this way," she added.

"Okay." Susan flipped the map towards her

"Jules, I think we can show you now," the woman added to him, "We arrived in this area here."

"Yes, we walked through the forest, you see," Susan added, "Then we got lost, so we asked our way at a house and-Where was the house?"

"Here it is," Terna gestured to another spot on the map.

The Time Lady nodded, "Ah."

"That's where we saw the soldiers, remember?" Barbara added.

Jules looked somewhat disturbed. "Are you sure?"

Susan nodded, "Yes."

"Jean!" Jules shouted up the stairs without warning, making the three women jump.

"What's wrong?" Barbara asked.

Terna turned towards Susan as the young girl tugged on the sleeve of her dress, "We didn't find Grandfather though. We don't even know if he got away."

Terna reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, "He did, Susan. He had to," she said, squeezing it reassuringly.

At that moment, Jean entered.  
"Show Jean where you were arrested," Jules said sharply.

Susan looked at him in surprise, "Just here."

Jeans eyes went wide as he looked at the spot on the map she was pointing to.

"Did you meet two men there?" Jules demanded.

Barbara nodded slowly, "Yes. How did you know?"

"Their names?" Jean asked.

Terna raised her eyes to the ceiling, trying to remember. "D'Argenson and the other guy was…Damn, I can't remember."

"Rouvray?" Jules offered.

"Yes, that was it."

Jean looked to Jules, his expression grave, "They must have discovered our escape route."

"They may have just been unlucky," Jules asserted. "We'll wait until we've heard from Leon; the route is his responsibility. Where D'Argenson and Rouvray brought back with you?

Barbara hung her head, "No. There was a fight with the soldiers; they were shot."

"Both of them were killed," Terna added.

"Soldiers?" Jean exclaimed, "Jules, this isn't the first time."

"Oh, later, later," Jules said dismissively.

"Someone's informing on us," Jean insisted.

"Later, Jean."

"You knew those men, didn't you?" Susan said to them.

"Yes, we did; we rescued them as we did you," Jules replied bitterly, gritting his teeth, "In their case, our effort was wasted."

"So this isn't the first time you've risked your life?" Barbara deduced.

Jean smiled sadly. "Not all Frenchmen can allow innocent people to be led to the guillotine, Barbara. Jules has saved many lives."

"It would appear that my luck is running out," the other man remarked gravely.

"Luck?" Jean scoffed, "Not if what I say is true."

"I shall sort it out, Jean," Jules declared before turning back to the map, "Now, you say your Grandfather was left here?"

Susan nodded, "Yes, in that house."

"He was upstairs, and D'Argenson said they'd incapacitated him," Terna explained, "Before we could find him, the soldiers arrested us and then set the place on fire."

Jules grabbed his chin thoughtfully, "That is a grave notion; however, I shall send someone to search for him as soon as I can."

"There were five of us all together," Barbara continued, "Ian, as I've already told you, is still in the prison."

Terna couldn't help but find herself slipping her hand into her empty pocket. "So is my Omni-Vice," she whispered, "I need to get it back."

She couldn't help but curse her own stupidity at allowing the object to become separated from her at the Conciergerie when the guard had thrown it out the window. Perhaps it was a foolish notion to consider going back to get it, but she couldn't very well just leave it lying about somewhere in Revolutionary France. After all, the device contained a vital part of her soul, a part of her soul that she needed.

It was her Claw, the extension of the most base, destructive parts of her being: rage, pain, desire; the instinct to fight and live to carry on other day.

Sitting at the table while Susan and Barbara continued to talk with Jean and Jules, she felt oddly hollow inside.

"I promise you," Jules was saying, "I give you my word that I will not rest until the five of you have been brought together again."

Susan nodded, her look of hopeful relief fading slightly as she gripped the side of her head.

"Headache again?" Barbara inquired of her.

Susan nodded, teeth gritted in pain. "Ah, yes. It keeps coming and going."

"The young lady needs sleep," Jules deduced. "Danielle?" he called into the kitchen for his sister.

"If you could show me where," Barbara offered.

"Danielle will escort you," Jules asserted as the woman entered.

"Oh yes, come with me," she said, helping Susan to her feet, "You look worn out."

"If I could just lie down," she replied.

"Sleep well," Jules said to her, "And have pleasant dreams."

"Thank you. Goodnight," Susan replied as she followed Danielle out of the room.

As soon as she left, there was a knock on the door. Jean jumped up, pulling out his pistol as he cautiously moved over to the door. He threw it open and pointed the gun in the face of a handsome, dark-haired man in a long, deep blue cloak who looked at him, startled.

Jean's face lit up in recognition. "Oh, Leon." He lowered the gun and stepped to the side.

The man, Leon, nodded to him as he came into the house. "I'm sorry it's so late, but I have a message for Jules."

"Leon! It's good to see you," Jules said with a grin, getting to his feet and going over to hug the newcomer.

"D'Argenson and Rouvray were taken," Jean declared bluntly.

"Not now, Jean," Jules chastised him. "Well Leon, what's wrong?"

"There is a man: a stranger. He's been asking for you," Leon explained.

Jules raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"He's being watched," Leon continued, "He's by the inn near the prison; we thought you should know."

Jules nodded, "Yes, thank you; we'll take care of it." He then turned to see Barbara and Terna still sitting at the table, watching the exchange with twin looks of bemusement. "Oh Barbara, Terna, this is a good friend of mine: Leon," Jules introduced him. "Leon: Terna and Barbara; they're here with a young friend. They'll be staying with us for a few days."

"I'm pleased to meet you," Barbara said to Leon, getting to her feet and curtsying as Terna merely nodded in acknowledgement, still somewhat distracted.

Leon smiled at Barbara, taking her hand and kissing it tenderly. "Hello."

Barbara flushed to the roots of her hairline, instantly dropping her gaze as Leon grinned at her.

"We're slipping out for a while," Jules declared before the scene could get awkward, "We won't be for long."

"I'll take good care of them, Jules," Leon reassured them, winking at Barbara as Jules and Jean threw on their coats and headed out the door.

"Perhaps you'd care for some wine?" Leon offered Barbara.

The woman smiled sweetly. "Yes. Thank you."

The two then moved into the next room; however, Terna remained lingering in the dining room. She glanced down at her hands one last time before silently slipping down the hall and out the door, heading the opposite way down the street back to the Conciergerie.

()()()

Terna cautiously entered the prison, pawing about in the dark. She couldn't see anything or anyone, which she supposed was a good thing. Her senses were peaked as she anticipated the Jailer coming around the corner at any moment. Slowly, she moved over to the window and peered over the sill, squinting into the growing darkness for the Omni-Vice, but she couldn't see it anywhere.  
She swore under her breath. "Where is it? Why can't I see it?"

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Terna whirled around to see the Jailer standing directly behind her, leering at her out of the darkness.

He started towards her, but Terna knocked him in the side of the head and broke into a sprint as the man fell to the ground behind her. She'd barely made it to the door when another guard grabbed her; Terna cried out in frustration as the man pinned her arms behind her back. She was so useless without her Omni-Vice.

"Hold her," the Jailer called to his cohort as he staggered to his feet, gripping his bloody head. He smirked in spite of it as he stalked over to Terna, twisting in the other guard's grip.  
"This is a mighty fine error on your part coming back to this place, wench."

()()()

The Jailer's office was disgusting; it smelled like booze and old cheese. The man himself sat at his rotten wood desk; his head was heavily bandaged, and he was drinking deeply from a large dark green bottle.

Terna was sitting in a chair before his desk, glaring at him as she stiffly twisted her wrists from where they were tied down to the arms.

The Jailer burped as he set down the bottle. "Now then, what are we to do with you?" He paused as though he expected Terna to respond to his obviously rhetorical question. "You managed to dodge the guillotine's blade once," he continued, "Perhaps you are better suited for the firing squad."

Terna's blue eyes widened in horror; she opened her mouth to say something, but there was suddenly a loud bang from another part of the prison that made both her and the Jailer jump.

"Let me in, you fools! I could have you shot at dawn," a muffled yet familiar voice hollered from the outside, "Get it open, will you?"

He banged on the door again; the sound was followed by the rusted creak of the jail door being opened.

"Ah, that's better," the voice continued, growing louder as its owner came closer down the hall. "Thank you. Open again? You don't want all the prisoners to escape, do you?"

Terna twisted around in her seat, straining somewhat because of the ropes holding her. The Jailer jumped up as a guard entered the room along with another man, who swept over the threshold with a flourish.

Terna's jaw dropped in a mixture of shock and joy to see that it was the Doctor standing before her. He was dressed in a rather bizarre outfit consisting of a long black cloak, a red, white, and, blue sash over his chest, and a gigantic black hat adorned in dark plumes and red, white and blue pins.

"Doctor!" Terna tried to rise from the chair, momentarily forgetting herself, but was quickly yanked back down by the ropes.

The Doctor turned towards her, and his eyes widened in surprise.  
"Isabelle! What on earth are you doing there?" he exclaimed.

Terna faltered "What?"

The Doctor, ignoring her confusion, turned on the Jailer. "How dare you! How dare you, man? I sent my wife ahead of me with a guard in the hopes that she would be safe from this madness, and you threw her in prison!"

The Jailer looked dumbfounded, unsure of how to respond. The Doctor scoffed at his silence as he strode over to Terna and quickly untie dthe ropes holding her to the chair.

The Lyall gaped at him. "What are you doing?" she hissed.

Just play along."

Terna grimaced somewhat at the thought, but realized that her life might depend on it so, as she got to her feet, she put on her best relieved smile. "Oh, thank goodness you came. Darling, they were going to shoot me!"

"Of all the indecency. This is an outrage!" the Doctor cried, turning back to the Jailer, "Who's is in charge of this prison, hmm? Well, speak up, my man!"

The Jailer was utterly flabbergasted. "I am, Citizen, but who are you?"

The Doctor's response was shoving a paper under the man's nose. "My credentials."

The Jailer barely had a chance to look at it before the Doctor yanked it back.  
"And while we are about it, why wasn't I met, hmm? Do you realize that I walked through the whole of Paris without a guard? Me?"

"We would have arranged an escort had we been advised of your coming," the Jailer stammered.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Or rather you were too busy planning to shoot my wife and have her relatives and guard executed. And for that matter, you were advised! I forwarded the communication myself. What if Robespierre hears about all this?"

Here, the Jailer went very pale. "Robespierre? Why, I don't think you should worry the First Deputy, Citizen. He's a very busy man," he stammered, bowing awkwardly, "I am at your service, Citizen. Anything you wish to know."

"Very well," the Doctor relented, "Thank you. Yes, you seem a capable man, and I'm sure this misunderstanding is none of your doing. Aren't I right, dear Isabelle?" he added to Terna.

Oh, yes quite," she replied with a wide smile, "I suppose all can be forgiven…in time." She glared pointedly at the Jailer.

He laughed nervously, "Oh, indeed madam. I am most grieved by this misunderstanding, but pray tell, why did you not inform us of your husband's position when you were first arrested?"

"Don't you think I tried? You didn't let me speak!"

The Jailer shifted uncomfortably, faltering under the look she was giving him. "Oh, do forgive me; I myself am most conscientious, but when you're assisted by idiots..."

"Of course, of course," the Doctor waved his hand dismissively, "Then I'm glad we understand each other."

The Jailer nodded, pausing to mop his brow. "Some wine, Citizen?"

"No thank you."

"I would deem it a privilege if I could be of help," the Jailer offered, bowing slightly.

"Thank you, Citizen!" The Doctor smiled, "It's all perfectly simple: now, along with my wife, three others were brought to this prison with her: a man, a woman and a young child. The man was my wife's guard, and the woman and girl were her relatives. I sent them ahead of me to make the journey. I can see, due to the folly of your idiotic assistants, that this was a mistake. However, I'm sure you remember them?"

The Jailer scrambled somewhat, "Ah, yes. Ah, yes. Uh..."

"Well? If they're still here," the Doctor snapped impatiently.

"The woman and the girl were dispatched to the guillotine; however, they were rescued," the Jailer quickly explained.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "What? By whom?"

"We don't know!" the Jailer exclaimed. "Many times traitors have snatched away those on the road to the guillotine. You understand, of course, that I cannot be held responsible? They were outside my jurisdiction."

The Doctor smirked. "Yes. But what of the man? You haven't mentioned him."

The Jailer rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "No. Well, the man, uh, well uh."

"Well, come along," the Doctor snapped impatiently, "Out with it, man."

"He escaped; I tried to stop him, but he fought with the strength of ten men. He gave me this wound," he gestured to his bandaged brow, and Terna couldn't help but smile slightly at what was her own handiwork.

"Yes, yes, yes, I believe what you say," the Doctor relented, "I'm sure you did the best you could. He naturally, of course, would not have come to any harm as he is my wife's guard. It's a pity you're surrounded by such fools."

"Exactly, Citizen. Exactly."

"Yes. So, all three of them are somewhere in Paris," the Time Lord mused.

"They will be found, you may rest assured."

"Yes, of course. Well, I'll take up no more of your time, Citizen. Come along, Isabelle," he gestured to Terna, who gladly followed him as he bid farewell to the still disgruntled Jailer.

However, as the Doctor opened the office door, he found none other than LeMaitre standing on the threshold.

His jaw dropped, and he was momentarily at a loss for words. The Conciergerie warden glared at him before looking pointedly to the Jailer in search of an explanation.

"LeMaitre, the Citizen here has come to clear up a misunderstanding."

"Yes, I heard what was said," the other man replied shortly, "Your papers, Citizen?" he added to the Doctor.

The Doctor handed him the pile of paperwork. "Mine, my wife's, her guard's, and her relatives'."

"He's a regional officer from the southern province," the Jailer added eagerly.

"I can read, thank you, Jailer," LeMaitre replied, his expression unreadable as he examined the papers. He glanced up at Terna, "Why were these not on your person when we arrested you?"

"They were taken by the traitors we encountered on our journey," she quickly replied, "Oh, it was terrible: the scoundrels held us at gunpoint." She wrung her hands, hoping to appear as frail and unassuming as possible.

She still couldn't tell what LeMaitre was thinking; his expression remained impassive as he turned to the Doctor. "I see, and where are you going now, Citizen?"

"Well, uh, home," the Doctor replied, "Right, darling?"

"Yes, please."

"It's rather late," LeMaitre asserted, "It would perhaps be better if you journeyed tomorrow."

The Doctor looked uncomfortable at the thought, but figured it would probably be in their best interest not to argue. "Yes. Yes, we could do that."

LeMaitre smiled slightly. "I'm happy you agree. You see, I'm taking the execution lists to the First Deputy's palace and, by a coincidence if you like, your province is going to be discussed. It would be a great help if you were on hand to answer any difficult questions that crop up."

The Doctor dropped his eyes, doing his best to hide his reluctance, a slight anxiety growing in the pit of his stomach. "A great help. Very well."

LeMaitre's smile widened, "I promise you will find it most interesting. Jailer, attend to the woman, make sure she is comfortable." He turned back to the Doctor and gestured out of the office with a flourish of his cloak, "Come. We must not keep Citizen Robespierre waiting."

The Doctor hesitated a mere fraction of a second before following the warden out of the room, casting one last meaningful glance at Terna as he did so.

()()()

Barbara and Leon were sitting on the sofa in Jules's parlor, both enjoying a bottle of some surprisingly good red wine considering the economy's current circumstances.

Leon smiled in satisfaction as he set down his now empty glass. "Where do you come from, Barbara?"

Barbara twirled her finger along the rim of her own glass. "Does it matter?"

"No. I'd just like to know."

The woman dropped her eyes. "I don't think you'll like the answer. I was born in England, so that makes us enemies."

"Does it?" Leon leaned forward slightly, "I prefer to think that it means you have no interest in France or the Revolution."

Barbara glanced back up, "That's a strange thing to say."

"Perhaps I'll explain one day," Leon offered, scooting a little closer to Barbara. He reached to take her hand, but Barbara jumped up from the couch.

"Well, I think I'd better go and see if Susan's all right," she said a little too loudly before pausing and looking about her, a thought suddenly occurring to her. "Where has Terna gotten to?"

()()()

The Doctor hadn't been this nervous since his TARDIS piloting license test. As he walked down the polished white halls of Robespierre's palace beside LeMaitre, his thoughts raced, and his hearts hammered in his chest.

He couldn't believe he was about to stand a mere table length's away from one of the most dangerous and powerful men in the history of Europe.

And he was wearing such a stupid hat.

He swallowed quietly as an attendant led him and LeMaitre into Robespierre's large, equally white office. Despite the possibility of losing his neck, the Doctor couldn't help a slight surge of excitement when he stepped into the room and saw the man himself: Maximilian Robespierre, ruler of France, sitting at his deck, vigorously scribbling away on a piece of parchment with a long, black quill.

He glanced up as they entered.  
"LeMaitre, to see Citizen Robespierre," the attendant announced.

Robespierre nodded distractedly to him, and the man left, before turning to LeMaitre and the Doctor.

"Here is the complete and detailed list of the recent executions, Citizen," the former began, handing the French Tyrant a rather large pile of papers.

Robespierre examined at them only briefly before looking over to the Doctor.  
"Who is this, LeMaitre?"

The Doctor clenched his fists; the man had a sharp, commanding tone that sent goosebumps up and down his arms.

"A Regional Deputy visiting from our southern province, Citizen," LeMaitre explained, "And as the province in question is to be discussed, I thought the Citizen could make his report personally."

Robespierre nodded. "I see; I am always prepared to listen to a first-hand account of a region's situation."

"I welcome the opportunity. Thank you," the Doctor replied, bowing slightly and nearly knocking off his hat, "Before you question me, perhaps you would like to hear my views on Paris?"

Robespierre arched a brow at this, "When did you arrive?"

"Just today."

Robespierre smiled slightly, "Hardly long enough for you to have gauged the present mood of our capital."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," the Doctor asserted.

"I am only interested in your comments on your own territory," Robespierre declared pointedly, setting down his quill. "Recent memoranda from your province suggest that the purge of our enemies in your region is progressing very slowly."

The Doctor's hearts each skipped a beat. "Oh, you've reached that conclusion? Hmm, well, perhaps we have fewer enemies in our region, and it maybe that Paris can take an example from us, hmm?"

"We in Paris are aware of the danger, Citizen," Robespierre replied, his eyes narrowing slightly, "We live in troubled times. There is much, much work to be done, work that is constantly delayed by the need to ferret out the traitors that we harbor in our midst."

"Is there such a need, Citizen Robespierre?" the Doctor insisted, "I mean, what can this Reign of Terror possibly achieve? For every opponent you put to the guillotine, two more will spring up!"

"I think you have said enough, Citizen," LeMaitre interrupted, his tone clearly conveying a 'dude, you're going to get your head cut off if you don't shut up' kind of vibe.

However, the Doctor seemed unfazed by back talking a mass murderer. "Oh, you do, do you?"

"Let him speak, LeMaitre," Robespierre asserted, although there was still a cold edge to his voice, "What he said is true: my enemies do multiply. He is only warning me of the dangers I face."

"As you wish, Citizen," LeMaitre relented.

"I could, and I shall, do great things for France," Robespierre continued, curling his hands into fists, "For too long the Nobility have kept our people to heel, and now finally, my world is at power, and what happens? My colleagues, my trusted friends, plot for power."

The Doctor barely suppressed a scoff. "Do they? Or is it just their wish to keep their heads, hmm?"

Robespierre gritted his teeth, "Danton planned to restore the monarchy. I had the proof, I knew! I had to dispose of him." He slammed his hand against the desk, rattling the ink well and knocking the quill onto the floor, "And the Girondins! Even now, Convention members are at work, plotting my downfall. But I will triumph, even if I have to execute every last one of them!"

He looked up at the Doctor, who nearly folded under the murderous glint clearly shining in his eyes. This man was mad, completely and utterly mad.  
Robespierre clenched his jaw, dropping those broiling eyes onto the ink splatters across his desk, "Death, always death," he whispered, "Do you think I want this carnage? Three hundred and forty two executions in nine days in Paris alone. What a memory I shall leave behind if this thing lasts."  
He placed his hands over his eyes and sighed heavily, "You must come again, Citizen," he added to the Doctor without looking up, "We never did talk about your province."

The Doctor exhaled quietly, "No we didn't, did we? And I was so looking forward to it. It's a pity we talked for so long about Paris."

Robespierre nodded, finally looking up to meet the other two men's' eyes, "Bring him with you tomorrow, LeMaitre."

"Yes, Citizen."

()()()

Susan shivered under the blanket; her face wet and waxy in the half-light. Barbara sat beside her, her face lined with worry. She looked up when Danielle entered, carrying a brandy.

"This will warm her," the woman said, handing her the bottle.

"Thank you," Barbara replied gratefully, "Any sign of, Terna?"

Danielle shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not. She left without pretense; we don't know where she's gone."

Barbara nodded. "I see. I fear she may have gone to look for the Doctor; I hope she has enough sense to stay out of trouble, but I suppose I shouldn't worry."

"Your friend is rather odd," Danielle remarked.

"Yes, I suppose she is."

At that moment, Leon entered the sitting room. "Would you like something, Barbara?"

"No, thank you."

"I think I'd like some more wine," the man added to Danielle.

"The wine is on the table."

"Thank you." Leon went over to the side bar and picked up the half empty bottle, pouring himself a glass.

"I think I'll return to bed, if you'll excuse me." Danielle declared.

"Yes, of course. I'm sorry we disturbed you." Barbara smiled apologetically.

Danielle bowed before leaving.

No sooner had she done so then Susan shifted from her place on the couch. She opened her eyes and looked about her, blinking rapidly.

"How do you feel now?" Barbara asked her.

"I'm all right, thanks," Susan replied thickly.

"You try and get some rest; I'll be here if you want me," Barbara assured her. The young Time Lady nodded as she nestled back against the pillows and closed her eyes.  
"I wish I knew for certain what it was," Barbara added to Leon. "She could have caught almost anything in that jail."

"We've done all we can, Barbara."

"Yes, but is it enough?" she insisted, "When I went upstairs, she'd kicked off all her clothes and was shivering with cold. I was so worried, I thought I'd better bring her down here."

"It's probably just a chill."

"Yes, but what if it's worse?"

"Well, we could call a physician," Leon offered, "But it would be dangerous. They report almost everything to the militia these days, if only to save their own necks." His last words were thick with bitterness.

"Yes, well, that's a risk we'll have to take," Barbara declared, "You must know someone we could trust."

Leon thought for a moment. "Yes. Yes, I think I do."

"Good. That's settled then." Barbara glanced back at Susan to see her breathing peacefully. "She's asleep."

"Good. I wonder what's happened to Jules?" Leon mused, "He should have been back before this."

"Oh. Well, if you have to go, we'll be all right here," Barbara declared.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, of course. I know you didn't intend to stay so long."

Leon nodded in agreement. "I think I'd better go. I shall need time to arrange for the physician."

Barbara rose to her feet as he turned to leave, making him pause. "We'll see you tomorrow?"

"If I can't come back, I'll send a message," Leon replied with a slight smile, "You'll tell Jules?"

"Yes, and be careful, Leon."

Leon's smile widened. "I will. We'll meet again, Barbara, and soon."

With that, he left, just as Susan woke up again.

"I thought you were asleep," Barbara said to her.

"No, just dozing. Where's Terna?"

"She's not here. She left to find your grandfather. Do you want to go back to bed now?"

Susan nodded. "You like Leon, don't you?" she remarked as Barbara helped her sit up.

"Come on, I'll help you upstairs," the other woman replied tersely, feeling her cheeks redden.

She led Susan, wrapped in her blanket comforter, out of the parlor and up the stairs.

()()()

"No, far from it. I'd say you created a favorable impression on Citizen Robespierre," LeMaitre was saying as he and the Doctor reentered the Conciergerie. It was very late in the evening at this point and the dark shadows surrounding the prison looked all the more menacing.

"I didn't say half the things I wanted to say," the Doctor replied bitterly, "He twisted my words."

LeMaitre laughed lightly at this, "Politicians usually do. Still, you are going to have another opportunity."

"Oh, I think not. No, no, no," the Doctor quickly asserted, "Your hospitality has been most successful, and most accepted. No, I think I must bid you goodbye and leave you."

LeMaitre raised an inquisitive eyebrow at this, "That would be rather difficult, Citizen. Robespierre is expecting you tomorrow."

"Then convey my apologies to him," the Doctor replied dismissively.

"On the contrary, it would be more than my neck is worth to disobey such an order. You must try and stay."

"It's out of the question!"

LeMaitre took a step forward, and the Doctor almost took a step back. "Oh, but I insist," he whispered. "Jailer!"

The addressed stumbled up the stairs almost instantly. "LeMaitre," he replied breathlessly.

"Arrange suitable accommodation for our Citizen guest, his wife as well."

"Of course, Citizen, of course. For how long?"

"They will be staying at least until tomorrow night."

"Definitely no longer," the Doctor interjected.

"They can have one of the soldiers' rooms. I'll throw them out."  
LeMaitre nodded his approval and was about to leave when the Jailer stopped him. "Oh, Citizen, just one thing. There's a man waiting to see you. It's very important."

LeMaitre arched an intrigued eyebrow before brushing past the Doctor and headed down the hall towards his office.

"I trust the room will be to your satisfaction," the Jailer added to the Time Lord.

"I'm sure it will be" the Doctor grumbled, "Where is Ter-I mean Isabelle?"

"Upstairs awaiting your return. She is most impatient," the Jailer replied sounding somewhat annoyed.

The Doctor couldn't help but smile slightly at this.  
_So, Terna was giving him hell as compensation for the way he'd treated her. _  
"Good. Then I shall go to her."

"If you're ready, Citizen; I'll show you your room," the Jailer continued.

"Oh, that's alright, Jailer. I don't think I shall stay after all," the Doctor asserted, "Just send my wife down and we shall be on our way."

The Jailer gawked. "Eh?"

"I'm sure LeMaitre will understand," the Time Lord assured him, "It's a pity that I asked him to put us up. Besides, those poor soldiers will need their rest."

"It doesn't matter about them," the other man insisted.

"Nevertheless, we must be on our way; we have a long journey," the Doctor continued, "So kindly give my regards to LeMaitre."

His hearts skipped a beat when the Jailor suddenly pulled out a pistol.

"Citizen!" he called, pointing it directly at him.

"And just what do you think you're doing, Jailer? Hmm?" the Doctor snapped.

"LeMaitre said you are staying," the Jailer replied definitively, "I must obey him."

"And what do you think he'll say when he hears you delayed me, hmm?" the Doctor tried, his mind racing as his eyes never left the end of the gun barrel trained on him.

"I'm sorry, Citizen, I'm sorry. But if he comes back and finds you gone, it could be even worse."

The Doctor sighed, gritting his teeth in frustration. Could he not catch a break today?

"Very well, we'll stay then. And I shall say nothing of this disgraceful behavior, if only for your sake."

The Jailer grinned, showing rotten teeth, as he immediately lowered the gun. "Thank you, Citizen, thank you. This way."

()()()

LeMaitre entered his office to find a short, relatively inconspicuous man waiting for him.  
"Well? You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Citizen LeMaitre," the Tailor replied, "I think I may have some information for you."  
He held up the Doctor's ring.

LeMaitre listened intently to the other man's story as he recounted his tale.  
"Your story is that this white-haired old gentleman exchanged clothes and this ring, and that you also gave him writing material?"

"And the sash, Citizen," the Tailor replied, "It was when he took the insignia of a Regional Officer of the Provinces that I became, well, suspicious."

"Yes, so you said." LeMaitre rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Of course I realize it may be nothing, but it was my duty to report it," the Tailor continued.

LeMaitre's pensive expression quickly morphed into a slightly sinister smile.  
"You did well, Citizen."

The Tailor took this as his cue to leave, and yet his eyes couldn't help but waver back to the Doctor's clothes and ring sitting neatly folded on the desk before him.  
"Will you be keeping the ring and the clothes, Citizen?"

"They may be needed as evidence," LeMaitre replied.

"Oh. Yes." The Tailor licked his lips, "Of course, you realize they were part of the exchange. I'm a poor man, Citizen, and normally I'd have thrown him out of my shop."

LeMaitre rolled his eyes. "This should more than compensate." He dropped a small bag of gold coins onto the desk between them.

The Tailors eyes lit up. "Thank you, Citizen!" he exclaimed, snatching the bag from the desk and turning the coins over in his hands, "Although I cannot accept a reward for what, after all, was my duty."

"Keep it, on one condition."

"Anything, Citizen."

LeMaitre leaned forward, his eyes stern. "You will say nothing of this to anyone."

The Tailor nodded eagerly. "You have my word."

"Leave this way," LeMaitre crossed the room and opened a back door, "I don't want you seen in the prison."

"Thank you, Citizen, thank you," the other man gushed as he hurried out the door and into the night.

()()()

After seeing Susan off to bed, Barbara reentered the dining room to find Jules and Jean had returned, but they were not alone. A third man was lying unconscious across the now cleared dining room table with Jules and Jean hovering over him.

"He's coming round," the latter announced. He looked 'round as Barbara approached. "I'm sorry we were so long, Barbara," he said to her, "We had to carry him all the way, dodging patrols all the time. How's Susan?"

"Oh, she has a slight fever, but she's sleeping now."

Jules nodded before looking to the door. "Leon's not here?"

"No, he had to leave. He's arranging for Susan to see a doctor t-" Barbara was cut off as the man on the table suddenly awake and sat bolt upright.

"Barbara!"

Barbara's jaw dropped. "Ian!" She let out a little scream before rushing over to embrace him, gripping him as though she'd never let go.

Ian laughed, patting her back reassuringly  
"Are Susan and Terna here too?" he asked once she'd released him.

"Susan's upstairs, but Terna I'm afraid is missing."

Ian's eyes widened at this. "Any news of the Doctor?"

Barbara shook her head. "No. We don't even know if he got to Paris; I suspect Terna went looking for him."

Jules laughed at their display. "Well, we did not know when we left here we were going to collect one of your friends, Barbara."

"Ian, this is Jules" Barbara introduced him, "He saved our lives."

Ian looked to him, shocked. "Not Jules Renan, by any chance?"

Jules looked startled. "Yes?"

"What?" Ian scrambled to his feet, "I've been looking for you!"

"We heard that somebody was," Jules replied, "We did not know it was you."

"You can say that again," Ian replied with a slight laugh, pausing to rub the growing bump on the side of his head.

"We're very sorry about that. Jean, this calls for a celebration," Jules added to his friend.

"I'll get a bottle from the cellar," the other man replied, hurrying out of the room.

"Come and sit over here, you'll be more comfortable." Jules lead Ian and Barbara into the parlor.

"I think I'd better go and sit with Susan," the later rejected the offer for a drink on the couch (having had her fair share with Leon).

Ian looked surprised at this. "Oh?"

"She isn't feeling at all well," Barbara explained.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Don't know. We're hoping to see a doctor tomorrow," Barbara couldn't help but smile, however, despite her grave statements, "Although when she hears you're back, that should be tonic enough."

"I know it is good news, but I think it's best not to wake her," Jules advised.

"Oh no, I won't," Barbara replied, "She doesn't sleep for very long anyway. Look, you have a talk to Ian."

With that, she left.

Ian turned back to Jules, smirking. "Sounded like an order."

"Well, there is one question I would like to ask you," Jules remarked, "How did you know Barbara and Susan were here?"

Ian shook his head. "I didn't."

"But I thought when you were asking for me."

"That was for an entirely different reason. Do you know a man called Webster?"

Jules looked surprised. "No."

"I shared a cell with him in prison," Ian explained, "Unfortunately he died. He asked me to contact a man called James Stirling."

"James Stirling." Jules turned the name over in his mind, "No, I'm afraid that name means nothing to me either."

"What?" Ian was aghast. "You mean to say you don't know him?"

"No. Should I?"

"Well, I don't know" Ian admitted, "I somehow took it for granted that you would."

"Perhaps you'd better tell me the complete story."

"Yes."

"Over a glass of wine."

Right, Ian kept forgetting he was in France.

"Well, as far as I know, Webster was an Englishman who'd come over to France to persuade Stirling to return to England. Stirling must be a spy."

As Ian talked, Jean reappeared with a bottle.  
"I'll share one drink, then I must start my journey," he said as he poured three glasses.

"Thank you. Yes, you should leave before dawn," Jules advised. "Your health, Ian," he added, raising his glass aloft.

"Well, as I told you, Webster was dying," Ian continued, "But before he died, he begged me to get a message to James Stirling. I asked him, how would I recognize him? And he told me to contact you at the sign of Le Chien Gris."

"I see. Well, Webster is right there," Jean remarked, "It is an inn that we frequent. I'm sorry, please go on."

"No, that's all there is to say," Ian replied, "Except that, as I found Le Chien Gris, you found me."

"Did Webster know Stirling?" Jules inquired.

"Oh, I imagine so."

"Probably by sight," Jean surmised.

"But if as you say Stirling is a spy, to do his job properly he must be able to move around freely," Jules deduced, "That would mean an alias, a completely new identity."

"What, something that Webster didn't know?" Ian offered.

"Yes, exactly."

"So, Webster was counting on recognizing him," Ian inferred.

"Well, that makes good sense," Jules declared.

"Yes, well why did he ask me to contact you?" Ian wondered aloud.

"Men like Webster have been in touch with me before," Jules explained, "I imagine the English are giving me as a contact to people they send over in case they need help."

"That's not going to help me find Stirling, is it?" Ian remarked.

Jules shook his head before turning to Jean, seeing he looked somewhat disturbed.  
"What's the matter, eh?"

"I'm not sure I like the idea of being used by the English," the other man replied somewhat bitterly, "You shouldn't either, Jules. We're at war! And they're our enemies, and here we are helping their spies."

"England is at war with the people ruling France, Jean," Jules asserted, "So are we. When the tyranny ends, so will the war."

"I suppose the chances of finding Stirling are pretty slim," Ian mused.

"We can try," Jules offered.

Ian nodded. "Good."

"Now, you have a few days to spare, if that's correct," Jean continued.

Ian raised an eyebrow. "Oh, do I?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I haven't told you," Jules apologized, "Jean is leaving soon to search for the fourth member of your party, Susan's grandfather."

"You know where he is?" Ian asked Jean.

"No, but I will start at the house where you were arrested and follow the trail from there. I'll find him."

"And while we wait, we will also search, for Stirling," Jules added.

"Providing you have no objections, Jules, I'll start my journey now," Jean added.

"No objections."

"You'll hear from me within three days."

"Take care, Jean." Jules bid farewell to his friend, who nodded in response.

"Ian." He bowed to him.

Ian nodded to him. "Good luck, and thanks."

"If anyone can find him, Jean can," Jules reassured him after his friend had left, "Now to our problem. I wonder who can help us. Of course, there is one man."

"A friend of yours?" Ian offered.

"Yes, Leon," Jules replied, "We've shared many escapades. He moves in a very wide circle and knows a great many people. Perhaps he is James Stirling."

"I'd like to meet him," Ian declared, "Can you arrange it?"

"Very easily, he's coming here tomorrow, bringing a physician for Susan," Jules replied.

"Good. This calls for another drink," Ian remarked, reaching for the bottle. "Oh, Barbara, just in time."

Both men looked up as she entered.

"How's Susan?" Jules inquired.

"I'm afraid she's getting worse," Barbara replied grimly.

()()()

When the Doctor entered the room that had been sectioned off for him, he found Terna sitting on the bed waiting for him. She got to her feet as he entered.

"Took you long enough."

"Forgive me," the Doctor replied somewhat breathlessly as he was still a little shaken, "I had a bit of a disagreement with Robespierre."

"People keep mentioning that name," Terna remarked, "Who is he?"

"The tyrant of France."

"Oh."

The Doctor glanced around the room; it wasn't exactly five star. There was little improvement over a basic cell aside from the fact that it was a little cleaner. The walls were still rough stone, the floor straw, the cot lumpy, and the air drafty.

"Nice room you have here," he declared sarcastically.

Terna shrugged as she sat back down on the bed. "Could be worse. Sure beats a cell."

"I suppose." The Doctor eyed her thoughtfully, "How did you come to find yourself back here anyways? I'd been told you'd escaped."

"I had, but I had lost my Omni-Vice when a guard threw it out the window," Terna explained, "I can't be without it, Doctor, so I had to risk coming back here to retrieve it."

The Doctor couldn't help but smile as he reached into the pocket of his coat. "You mean this?"

He held up a familiar bronze magnifying glass.

Terna shrieked in delight as she jumped to her feet and quickly grabbed the object from him.  
"Oh, Doctor, you found it!"

"Yes, I spotted it lying in the mud as I was coming to the gate."

"I can't thank you enough," Terna gushed, gripping the glass tightly as she slipped it into her dress pocket, relishing in the familiar weight of it against her hip.

"On more accounts than this," the Doctor replied rather sternly. "If it hadn't been for me, you'd have been shot. Coming back here was a very foolish thing to do."

"Perhaps, but not more foolish then you impersonating one of them and coming here unarmed to clear my name," Terna asserted.

"I suppose." The Doctor sat down on the bed beside her and light his pipe.

Terna eyed him thoughtfully. "Tell me, Doctor, are you attracted to me?"

The Doctor choked, nearly lighting his finger on fire. "What? Whatever gave you that idea?"

Terna shrugged. "Well, this is the second time now you've played the 'wife' card. Is it some kind of Freudian wish fulfillment?"

The Doctor glared at her. "Don't try and apply Earth psychology to me, Eternal."

"Fine. Jeez, I was just asking," Terna exclaimed, holding up her hands in submission.

The Doctor scoffed. "Well, then my answer is no: I'm not attracted to you."

Terna nodded astutely. "Oh, alright. Good: I'm not attracted to you either."

"Good."

There was an awkward paused.  
"We should probably go to sleep."

Tena blinked. "Huh? Oh, right, but first two questions: how did you get here and why do you look like a peacock?"

The Doctor snorted. "My dear, Terna, this is the official garb of the Regional Officers of the French military."

"Oh, I see." The Lyall smirked as she took off his hat and put it on her own head, "I think I used to have a hat like this once."

"As for how I managed to escape the fire, I was fortunate enough that the boy we found in the woods pulled me from the flames," the Doctor continued as Terna messed with the feathers.

"I see. Well, I'm glad you're alright," she remarked, setting the hat down on the chair beside the bed. "Although, I do have one more question: why Isabelle?"

The Doctor thought for a moment. "I don't frankly know. It just popped into my head, but I suppose it's appropriate as it means 'beautiful'"

Terna rolled her eyes. "Would you stop?"

"Perhaps, but I'm quite tired; I had a long walk to get here. I suggest we turn in." The Doctor moved to stand up but Terna held up a hand to stop him.

"Oh no, mister. Turn around."

The Doctor looked confused. "What? Oh." He rolled his eyes before turning to face the wall.

Terna stood up and strode across the room. "For the record," she continued, as she pulled her dress over her head and reached for the nightgown put out for her, "You'll stay on your side of the bed. Got it?"

"Hadn't we just gone over this?"

"Alright. I'm decent."

"Good." The Doctor turned back around, "Now, goodnight, and please do stay on your side of the bed as well."

The following morning, the Doctor awoke, rather uncomfortable and confused. He rarely slept and when he did, he always found himself in the comfort of his bedroom in the TARDIS.  
The draft in the room had been terrible, and he'd been shivering all night. A part of him had actually wanted to shift a little closer to Terna lying beside him, unperturbed by the chill, but he reasoned that, due to her lack of body heat, she probably wouldn't have made a very good heat source.

However, as he sat up, he found the Lyall's side of the bed empty. He soon spotted her sitting on a chair in the corner fully dressed, wearing his hat again and writing in a notebook.

She glanced up. "Good morning. You know you kept kicking me last night?"

The Doctor felt himself grow somewhat embarrassed. "Did I? Forgive me. I'm not used to sharing a bed with someone else," he admitted.

Terna arched an eyebrow. "Really? No wife, no girlfriend, no siblings that you clambered into bed with when you were small?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No. Aside from Susan and a few other attachments, I am relatively alone."

Terna dropped her eyes. "No wonder you left."

"What are you writing?" the Doctor inquired, eager to change the subject.

"Oh, this? I found it in the bottom of the chest where the clothes were," Terna explained. "Rangi told me once that it's important to keep a log of situations that way you can go over them later. Normally, I just write on scraps of paper I find lying around the TARDIS, so I was fortunate to come across this."

"Who's Rangi?" the Doctor asked, surprised that Terna would mention something from her past as she was normally quite reluctant (although he was one to talk).

"Oh, no one of importance," Terna replied dismissively.

"I see. You know, I could probably find you some empty volumes to keep record on in the TARDIS library," the Doctor offered.

Terna was surprised. "Really?"

"Of course, why not?"

"Thanks, but I suppose," Terna dropped her eyes, "That is to say, if we can make it back to the TARDIS."

"Don't lose heart, Terna," the Doctor reassured her, clambering out of bed and pulling on his waist coat. "We just have to find the others."

Terna nodded, standing up as well, "I left the place where Susan and Barbara are. C'mon, I'll take you to where they are. Then we can all try and find Ian together and get out of here."

As the Doctor and Terna came downstairs into the main hall of the prison, they found the Jailer lying on the ground in a drunken stupor.

They exchanged a glance just as LeMaitre entered. "Good morning, Citizens. I hope you slept well."

"I did not!" the Doctor snapped indignantly, "The bed was hard, and the draught blew through the room like the north wind."

"I'm sorry."

"Yes, I dare say you are, but if I catch rheumatism, apologies won't cure it. Will it, hmm?" the Doctor snapped.

"Well, better feed the pigs," the Jailer declared loudly, shuffling out of the room.

"Most appropriate," Terna remarked.

"Come, we'll have breakfast," LeMaitre gestured to him, "And your time may not be wasted, Citizen. I've got a feeling that it will be quite an eventful day."

()()()

Not a word had come from Leon until Danielle received a message.  
"The physician won't come here."

"Thank you," Jules replied.

"But we must do something for Susan," Ian insisted.

"Well, if Danielle says the physician won't come here, Susan must be taken to him," Jules declared.

"I'll arrange for a carriage to take them," Danielle announced, bowing out of the room.

"Let me go with Susan," Ian added.

"No, I think it'll look less suspicious if two women were to go," Jules asserted, "Barbara can take her; the physician is reasonably near."

"I've just found them; I don't want to lose them again," Ian insisted.

"That's quite understandable," Jules replied calmly, "But there's no reason for you to fear for your safety. Besides, there's your meeting with Leon."

"Yes, but you haven't arranged it yet."

"I can. Ian, it'll all be over by today; you'll be able to leave together. It'll be quicker this way."

"Well, I don't like it this way, but- ." Ian sighed, finally relenting.

"Good. I'll go and fetch Barbara and Susan."

As Jules left the room, Ian watched him go.  
"Let's hope we can trust the physician."

()()()

An hour later, Susan was being examined by a physician.

"Yes, you appear to have a feverish chill, but it's nothing very serious."

"Well, that's a relief," Barbara declared.

"All the same, I'm surprised at your condition," the Physician mused, peering at the young girl over the rim of his bifocals, "Tell me, have you any idea how you came to catch it?"

Susan shook her head. "No, none."

"Your symptoms would suggest that you haven't been looking after yourself."

"Well, I've done nothing unusual," the young Time Lady replied with a shrug.

"Has she been eating properly?" the Physician inquired of Barbara.

"She has an enormous appetite," the woman asserted, "Look, doctor, if you could, well, give her something? We appreciate your time's valuable. We've no wish to delay you."

"Quite so, quite so," the man agreed, "There's another thing, your, er, your hands. They're very blistered, aren't they?"

"We've been doing some gardening," Susan replied, quickly yanking her hands away.

"Doctor, can you help her?" Barbara asked urgently.

"Yes, I'll treat her. It's a simple matter of blood-letting."  
Susan gasped, horrified. "Unfortunately, I shall have to go out and collect some leeches," the Physician continued, "You called rather early; I was on my way to collect them first thing this morning, but you're welcome to wait."

Barbara looked uncomfortable. "Well, maybe it would be better if we came back."

"Come back? No, no, no. I shall be out all day," the man replied, "You'll have to wait, but please, make yourselves comfortable."

With that, he left.

As soon as the shop door closed behind him, Susan grabbed Barbara's hand and looked at her pleadingly. "Barbara, I don't like him, and I can't stand the thought of having leeches on me."

"I know, and I got the impression that he suspected us," Barbara agreed, "Come on, let's go."

Susan didn't need to be told twice as she jumped up and bounded across the room. She yanked on the door, but it didn't budged  
"It's locked!"

()()()

At Jules's estate, Ian anxiously paced the room.  
"Barbara and Susan aren't back yet."

"They'll be all right," Jules assured him, "It is not unusual to be kept waiting at the physician."

"Well, I've got a feeling something's gone wrong," Ian declared.

"Now don't worry, Ian," Jules pressed, "I've arranged your meeting with Leon."

"Oh, he can wait."

Jules sighed. "If it'll make you any happier, I'll go and fetch Barbara and Susan. Now if you want to see Leon, you must hurry. He moves around a great deal. It may be your only chance."

"But you'll leave immediately?" Ian asked.

"Yes, of course I will," the other man replied, "Leon is at a disused church; you're to go alone. I've explained some of the story."

"Ah, so he's not James Stirling," Ian deduced.

Jules shook his head. "No. I'll draw a map for you; it will help you find the way."

()()()

Barbara tugged frantically on the door, but it held firm.  
"Oh, this door's stronger than it looks."

"He's been gone ages," Susan exclaimed, "He'll be back soon. There's someone coming."

She gripped Barbara's arm, and both of them jumped back as the door was kicked open and a swarm of guards spilled into the shop, spearheaded by the Physician.

"There they are."

The soldiers grab the two women and lead them away.

It wasn't long before both women found themselves back at the Concierge at the mercy of its sleazy Jailer and heartless warden.

"So, you thought you'd escaped," the former sneered as he led them down the foul-smelling hallway, "Well, we're not as big a fools as you take us for. Ah, LeMaitre. Two recaptured prisoners."

The warden stepped into view and silently beckoned the Jailer over to him. He whispered something to him.

"Barbara, what do you think they're talking about?" Susan hissed.

"I don't know, but we'll find out soon enough."

"I'll see that your orders are carried out, Citizen," the Jailer concluded before turning to two guards, "Take the girl to the cells."

"No! Barbara!" Susan struggled against their hold as they grabbed her and hauled her away.

Barbara tried to follow, but the Jailer caught her wrist and held her back.

"Not you. You're wanted for questioning."

Barbara was led into LeMaitre's office.  
"Citizen, LeMaitre thought you might like to question this prisoner," he announced.

The Doctor looked up as he entered. "What's that?"

Barbara's jaw dropped. "Doctor?"

"My dear Barbara!" the Time Lord exclaimed, jumping to his feet and rushing over to her.

"Doctor!" Barbara beamed as the Doctor hugged her, relieved.

"This is no prisoner," Terna added to the Jailer, "This is my cousin, who was accompanying me to Paris. I do believe we informed LeMaitre of this."

The Jailer flushed. "Oh, yes of course, madam. I apologize for the mistake."

"I certainly hope so," Terna snapped, "Now, out with you. We have matters to discuss."

()()()

The meeting place that had been arranged for Ian and Leon was an old crypt at a disused Church. The space was cold, damp, and low-ceilinged with thick Norman pillars that allowed very little light to enter the space.

Ian cautiously moved forward. "Leon?"

A figure stepped out of the shadows. "Yes. You must be Ian."

"That's right." Ian replied, not relaxing despite the smile the man he deduced to be Leon was wearing. He had a hunch something wasn't right.

"Are you alone?" Leon inquired.

"Yes, Jules said you might be able to help," Ian replied.

As soon as he'd spoken, he heard the sound of movement and jerked his head to see a half dozen men melt out of the darkness and surround him.

Ian exhaled. He knew it.  
"Soldiers."

"Yes, I know." Leon's smile widened as he cocked his head to the side, "You walked right into my trap, didn't you, Ian?"

Ian shot him a murderous glare, seething as he then scanned the area, trying to find an opening.

"You can put all ideas of escape out of your head," Leon read through him, "And as for your rescue? Well, no one will come here, you can take my word for that."

"If I don't get back, Jules is going to get suspicious," Ian replied.

"By the time that happens, my friend, we shall have left," Leon asserted simply, "And afterwards we'll take care of him."

Three of the soldiers then grabbed Ian; he doesn't bother to struggle, realizing Leon is right as the other men chain him to a set of iron rings set into one of the pillars. He'd have to find another avenue of escape. But what?

"You never know who your friends are." Ian grimaced.

"My association with Jules was bound to come to an end," Leon replied with a shrug, "He already suspected that a traitor, if you want to use those words, was working in the organization. But it's no matter. We're ready now to close in on him, too."

"So what do you want with me?" Ian demanded.

"Information," Leon replied, "You will cooperate, Ian," he added when the man opened his mouth to retort, "Think about it. We have plenty of time."

With one final smile, he turned and left.

One of the soldiers grinned at him. "He's giving you time to consider."

"I don't need time," Ian spat, "I have no information."

"We'll decide that when you talk," the man replied, chuckling at his resolve, "And you'll talk. You'll talk."

()()()

Barbara couldn't seem to stop smiling.  
"Oh, Doctor, I thought we were never going to see you again."

The Doctor chuckled, "You should know by now, young lady, that you can't get rid of the old Doctor as easily as that."

"Yes, we've been quite fortunate," Terna agreed.

"But Terna, why on earth did you come back to this dreadful place?" Barbara inquired of the Lyall.

"I needed the Omni-Vice. One of the guards threw it out the window."

"Oh, I see."

"And Susan's in the cells," the Doctor continued, "Now all that's left is to find Ian."

"No need for that," Barbara asserted, "He's waiting at the home of the men who rescued us."

"Oh, you found him then?" the Doctor deduced.

Barbara nodded. "Yes, pure stroke of luck."

Terna grinned, relieved. "Thank heavens for that."

Barbara turned to the Doctor. "Tell me, how did you get out of that burning farmhouse? "

"Oh, never mind about that now," the Doctor replied, waving his hand dismissively, "And what of Susan? How is she?"

"Yes, is she well?" Terna added.

"She's fine," Barbara replied, "She had a slight fever, but she's recovered now."

"Good. Well now, we must go retrieve Chesterton and try and get back to the ship," the Doctor declare.d

"Yes, where was that again? I forget the name." Terna inquired of Barbara.

"We were all in hiding at a house owned by a Jules Renan," Barbara replied.

Out in the hall, LeMaitre was listening at the door.

"Not now, Jailer," he hissed when said man approached him.

"But Citizen."

"Later!"

"But- ."

"I said, not now."

"I just had a message from the First Deputy, Citizen."

LeMaitre sighed, tearing himself away from the door. "Well, what is it?"

"Robespierre says he wants to see you immediately; it's a matter of the utmost importance," the Jailer hurriedly explained, "Robespierre said immediately, Citizen."

"Yes, yes." LeMaitre sighed, "Has the young girl been locked away?"

The Jailer nodded astutely, "She has. I saw to it myself, just as you ordered, Citizen."

"Good. She shall remain in her cell, do you understand? Under no circumstances is the door to be opened."

"Just as you say, Citizen."

"And if that order is disobeyed, I'll have you guillotined," LeMaitre declared darkly before he marched down the hall towards the prison gate.

()()()

"Yes, that's it! The physician must have been the rat," the Doctor deduced after hearing Barbara's story.

"Oh, I should never have taken Susan to see that physician," the woman replied.

"Oh, don't blame yourself, Barbara," the Doctor assured her, "As it happens, everything has turned out very well. It might have taken us ages to find each other."

"Do you think we stand a chance of getting out of here?" Barbara inquired.

"Well, my voice seems to carry some weight, hmm?" the Doctor reminded her.

"Yes, well, I'm not surprised in that get-up," Barbara replied, fighting hard to hide a smile.

"Ridiculous, isn't it?" Terna agreed.

"Now, listen," the Doctor continued, "We're going through that door. Give me a few minutes, then I want you to go through the door and straight out of the prison."

Barbara gawked. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely serious."

"Remember, the Doctor managed to clear your name," Terna reminded him.

"What about Susan?" Barbara asked.

"We'll look after her and follow later," Terna assured her.

"But Doctor, you-" Barbara continued to protest.

"Now, now, now, there's no buts. Don't argue," the Doctor urged, "You know my plans always work perfectly. Hmm? In a few minutes, then."

After their audience with Barbara, the Doctor and Terna exited LeMaitre's office to find the Jailer waiting for them.

"Ah, tell me. Is LeMaitre here?" the Doctor inquired of him.

"He's left to see Citizen Robespierre."

"Oh, dear, dear, dear. How irritating, and I did want him so urgently."

"Well, I'm sure he'll be back shortly, Citizen."

"No, no, no, this matter can't wait," the Doctor insisted, "It's urgent. I've just been interrogating my wife's cousin, and I'm now convinced she's a member of that dangerous Traitor's Party."

The Jailer's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, I see, I see."

Terna nodded, sighing dramatically. "It's quite tragic, but then again, she was always the black sheep of the family."

"And I'm sure she's swayed her daughter in that direction too," the Jailer mused.

Terna blinked in confusion. "Who?"

"The girl."

"Yes well, I think she could tell us the names of every traitor in this country," the Doctor continued.

"Perhaps we should make her talk?" the Jailer offered.

"No, no, chance of that," the Doctor asserted, "She'd rather die first than betray her friends. I think, if there's only some way of using her. If only we could get through her to her friends."

"Perhaps…." The Jailer trailed off.

"Perhaps what?" Terna asked.

"Well, if she were to escape, she could be followed," the Jailer offered, "She'd meet these traitors, than we'd arrest them. LeMaitre once did this."

The Doctor beamed. "My dear man, what an excellent idea! Isn't it an excellent idea?" he added to Terna.

"Yes, quite inspired," the Lyall agreed.

"Alright that's what we'll do, and LeMaitre will be delighted!" the Doctor declared, "Now look here, Mister Jailer, I want you to open those prison doors. Keep out of sight."

"Oh, but, uh…" the Jailer hesitated.

"Tch, tch, tch. No buts, no!" the Doctor chided, "And sooner or later, that young woman will come through those doors and we can grab her. Go along, quickly."

All three of them moved down the hall and ducked out of sight.

A few moments later, Barbara came out of the office, saw everything was clear, and walked out of the prison.

()()()

In the Church crypt, Ian twisted in his restraints, watching the soldier left to guard him slowly pace up and down in front of him.

"Getting impatient, are we?" the other man sneered, "That's a good sign; Citizen Colbert really knows how to make pigs like you squeal. He leaves them alone, lets them think. Now me, I have other ways."

Before Ian could react, he raised his hand and backhanded Ian across the face so hard he saw spots. Bleary, Ian shook his head as he tried to clear the haze, his head pounding as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Stop that," Leon scolded as he reentered the crypt, "I'm sorry. I'm afraid my men are very bad-tempered," he added to Ian. "Ian, I don't want anything to happen to you, really, but I think you have the information that will help the cause I believe in.

"You're wasting your time with me," Ian scoffed. "I'm very small fry."

"Surely you don't expect me to believe that?" Leon scoffed. "We learned of the existence of James Stirling two months ago. We've been searching for him ever since."

Ian arched an eyebrow. "We?"

Leon nodded. "Yes, I've been loyal to the Revolution from the beginning. If you'd known what France was like six years ago, before the Bastille, you'd understand."

"I do understand," Ian replied, "But I can't help you."

"Or you won't," Leon snapped. "France will never be anything until we're rid of these high-born leeches who've been sucking the life-blood of France for so long."

"You must believe me," Ian insisted. "I can help you in no way."

Leon sighed. "Ian, you can save yourself a lot of trouble and suffering by talking. This is your only chance. Do you realize that when I've finished with you I'll transfer you to the prison, and then to the guillotine?" He paused to lean forward, his voice growing quieter. "Now, if you were to talk, I have the power to set you free."

"Jules must have told you all I know," Ian retorted, unfazed.

"Ah yes, what did Jules say?" Leon paused as though trying to remember, "That Webster gave you a message to give to Stirling."

"Yes, that's right. Only I can't recognize Stirling. That's why I'm here."

"Oh, that I accept." Leon waved a hand dismissively, "But you must have known of their organization. You were in it with Webster. He would never have trusted you otherwise. Now, who sent you from England? How did you get here, and who helped you?

"What's the use?" Ian cried.

Leon shook his head in a patronizing manner as though he were scolding a small child. "I really don't understand what you hope to gain. If I don't get the information from you, I shall find it elsewhere. Now be sensible. Save yourself from the guillotine."

"You wouldn't believe my story anyway," Ian declared.

Leon's eyes narrowed; he crouched down in front of Ian, so he was eye level with him. "Suppose you let me be the judge of that? How did you get to France?"

Ian smirked. "You really want to know, eh?

"The truth?"

"Oh yes, it's the truth all right."

"You swear it?"

"Yes, I swear it," Ian's smiled widened to a grin. "I flew here with three friends in a small box. When I left England it was 1963."

"Oh for God's sake." Leon signaled to a soldier with a rather large bayonet. The man started forward but stopped short when a voice echoed throughout the crypt.

"All right, Leon. Release him."

Jules Renan appeared out of nowhere, shooting one soldier, who fell to the ground with a cry. Before anyone could react, Jules whipped his now empty pistol at Leon, hitting him in the side of the head and knocking him to the ground.  
Another soldier draws his own musket, but Ian kicks it out of his hand. Jules rushed the now disarmed man and pinned his arms behind his back.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ian spots Leon stagger back to his feet, drawing two pistols.  
"Jules!"

Jules turned towards Leon, pinning the solder in front of him as a shield, and both Leon's shots hit the other man instead. He screams and convulses, falling to the floor as Leon made for the musket on the ground.

Before he could make it, Jules drew a second pistol.  
"You traitor. It's you who's the enemy of the people."

One shot through the chest, and Leon falls to the floor dead.

Ian gasped, his adrenaline dying down as Jules stepped over the body of his once friend and hurries over to release him.  
"I thought I was going mad when I saw you here," Ian said to him, "Why did you come?"

"Bad news for you," Jules replied grimly.

"Oh?"

"Barbara and Susan were arrested at the physician."

Ian nodded gravely. "Yes, I feared that as soon as Leon turned up here. We must get to them."

"I think it's best to go back to my hide-out," Jules asserted.

"What? The soldiers will be there already," Ian protested.

Jules smiled sadly. "Well, if I know Leon, he will have wanted the satisfaction of arresting me himself. And anyway, we'll just have to risk it. Come on."

()()()

Susan sat in her cell, no longer feverish, but still feeling like she was going to be sick, overwhelmed by her current situation.

She jumped slightly when there was a tapping on the door.

"What is it? What do you want?" Susan snapped.

"Susan, Susan, it's us, child!" the Doctor called through the bars.

"Susan?" Terna added.

"Oh, Grandfather!" Susan jumped to her feet and rushed over to the door; peering through the bars, her face lit up when she saw Terna and her grandfather.  
"Oh, Terna, you've found him! How'd you get away from the farmhouse?"

"Oh, I can't explain that now, child; it'd take too long," the Doctor replied dismissively.

"Barbara's here somewhere," Susan added, lowering her voice.

"Don't worry we've taken care of that," Terna assured her, "She should be out of the prison and well on her way now. And we-."

"Shh! There's someone coming!" the Doctor cut her off. "Quiet! We have to go, Susan. See you later."

"Be careful!" Susan whispered.

"Shh!" the Doctor called to her as they hurried off.

()()()

"But Citizen!" the Jailer cried, "Didn't you collect the soldiers and follow the released prisoner?"

"Me?" the Doctor exclaimed indignantly, "Certainly not!"

"But, w-why not?"

"I was under the impression, my dear man, that you were doing so," the Doctor replied as though this were obvious, "I'm hardly dressed in the proper clothes to go skulking after people, now am I?"

"I couldn't have gone," the Jailer replied, "I can't leave the prison."

"Well why didn't you say that in the first place?" Terna demanded.

"I...Uh."

"What do you think LeMaitre will say? He's bound to want to know whose idea it was."

"It was mine." The Jailer went very pale, "Citizen, you must help me."

"I'll try," the Doctor assured him, "Now, don't worry, I'll cover up for you. But you know, I have a feeling that this young girl is tied up in this somehow. Now I think if we let her go, I personally could follow, and then arrest all of them.

"Yes, and I could go with you," Terna added. "We'd be less conspicuous that way. Now, we need from you is the key to that child's cell," she added to the Jailer.

The Jailer shook his head vigorously. "Citizen, LeMaitre was very clear with his instructions. If that door is opened, I lose my head. That's wha-what LeMaitre said just before he left, that's what he said!"

"LeMaitre, LeMaitre. Why can't you use your own initiative, my man?" Terna exclaimed.

"Aye, well you must see him when he returns, Citizen," the Jailer replied, "I'm just a humble servant. If his orders are countermanded, well then…"

"I demand you open that cell door!" the Doctor commanded.

"To lose one prisoner is bad enough, to lose two would be the end of me," the Jailer exclaimed. "Especially after my orders. LeMaitre will be returning soon. We'll do as he says. Until then, that door remains closed.

()()()

Meanwhile, LeMaitre had just arrived at Robespierre's office where the tyrant of France was eagerly waiting for him.

"Ah good, LeMaitre. We are not to be disturbed," Robespierre nodded to his attendant, who nodded and bowed out of the room, closing the door behind him. "The news is serious, Citizen, and there is not much time," Robespierre added to LeMaitre.

"I am at your service," LeMaitre replied with a bow. "You have only to give the order."

"There is a meeting of the Convention tomorrow," Robespierre began.

"Yes, I know, Citizen."

"I have been warned that certain influential members, traitors, all of them, are planning to bring an indictment against another member."

LeMaitre arched an eyebrow. "You have their names?"

"Oh, I realize they are forever plotting," Robespierre continued, "But this latest information suggests that more and more of the Paris Commune are taking sides. The plan is that even I shall not be allowed to speak. They're out to destroy me!"

"All is not lost, Citizen," LeMaitre urged, "You still have many friends sitting in the Convention."

Robespierre shook his head, "But can I trust them? If this motion gets underway, they will turn against me to save their own necks. Mark my words, LeMaitre. If this plot is successful, tomorrow, the 27th of July 1794, will be a date for history."

"Tell me the leader of this group, Citizen," LeMaitre insisted. "He will be immediately executed."

"Patience, LeMaitre," Robespierre urged. "This is no lone voice we are fighting against. If they are to hold power, they will need the Army on their side. Meetings must have been arranged."

"By whom?"

"It is my guess that Deputy Paul Barrass is at the forefront of the rebels, but I must be certain before I strike. I shall not get a second chance, LeMaitre."

LeMaitre leaned forward eagerly. "Tell me what I must do."

"I understand that Barrass is leaving Paris tonight. I assume it must be for a meeting," Robespierre explained. "With the position as it is, it can be for no other reason. I want to know who with, and the decision. Given that, I can still defeat my enemies."

"What if he's just a decoy?"

"That is my worry, LeMaitre. Tonight my men will be everywhere. Barrass is your responsibility."

"I shall not fail you," LeMaitre declared with a bow, "Against which Member is the indictment being brought, Citizen?"

"Against me, LeMaitre!" the tyrant exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "Against me, Robespierre!"

LeMaitre nodded, decided the best course of action would be to slowly back out of the room. He excused himself and stepped into the hall where he had a whispered conversation with a nearby guard before making his way back to the prison.

()()()

Ian and Jules were relieved to find the hideout no swarmed with soldiers upon returning to it.  
"We're safe here for the moment," the latter surmised, "But I shall have to give up this house very soon. It's becoming too dangerous."

"Ian?" The addressed whirled around in time to see Barbara step into view.

"Barbara!" Ian's face lit up, his ordeal instantly forgotten as he ran up to hug her. "We thought you'd been arrested."

"Yes, we were," Barbara replied, "But when we got to the prison, the Doctor and Terna were there."

Ian gaped. "What?"

"Yes, the Doctor is dressed up as if he's running the revolution!" Barbara exclaimed with a grin. "From what I could gather, half the people there take orders from him."

Ian smirked knowingly. "That sounds like the Doctor, all right."

"The Doctor?" Jules raised a brow, "You mean Susan's grandfather?"

"Yes, that's right," Barbara replied.

"Where's Susan?" Ian asked her.

"Oh, she'll be along later with him. I just walked out."

Ian gawked. "Walked out? But…" he relented, laughing lightly at the absurdity of it all. "I don't know how he gets away with it half the time. What did they say?"

"Well, not very much, we didn't have a chance," Barbara admitted, "But they'll all be here soon, so no doubt we'll get the whole story, several times. What have you been?"

Ian grimaced. "Let's just say I fell into the wrong hands, and Jules arrived in time."

"And Leon?"

"He's dead, Barbara," Jules replied, "I killed him."

Barbara paled. "Killed him?"

"Yes. He was the traitor we were looking for."

"It was the only way, Barbara," Ian added.

"He deserved to die," Jules continued bitterly, "He was a traitor."

Barbara shook her head in disbelief. "What do you mean, he was a traitor?"

"When I got to the church, he turned on me," Ian explained. "He was going to kill me."

"He betrayed us, Barbara," Jules added.

"He was a traitor to you," Barbara retorted, "To his side he was a patriot."

"Barbara, we've taken sides just by being here," Ian insisted, "Jules actually shot him; it could just as easily have been me"

"And what about Robespierre?" Jules demanded, "I suppose you think- ."

"Well, just because an extremist like Robespierre- ." Barbara began, but Ian cut her off.

"Oh, Barbara, Jules is our friend. He saved our lives!"

"I know all that!" Barbara cried, overwhelmed as tears brimmed in her eyes. "The revolution isn't all bad, and neither are the people who support it. It changed things for the whole world, and good, honest people gave their lives for that change."

'Well, he got what he deserved," Ian declared.

Barbara glared at him. "You check your history books, Ian, before you decide what people deserve."

()()()

Susan was just about to lose her mind with impatience and worry when she heard a familiar voice whisper to her through the bars.

"Susan."

"Oh, Terna!" Susan jumped up and rushed over to her, "I thought you were never coming. Where is Grandfather?"

"He's taking care of something," Terna replied, "We shall have you out of here soon, but I need you to do something for me. I want you to get down onto the floor, behind this door, and don't move, whatever you do."

"But Terna- ," Susan started to protest.

"Do it now, Susan," Terna urged. "Don't argue, do it now. And don't make a sound! Stay there! There's someone coming."

Tentatively, Susan obliged, crouching down behind the door.  
"Be careful!"

"Yes, yes, now keep quiet."

Checking to make sure no one saw what she was doing, Terna then ran down the hall towards the Jailer's office.

"Oh, it'll be the end of me, this business," the Jailer wailed, "I don't know what LeMaitre will say."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Oh, he's not back yet then, eh?"

"Oh, but we expect him any minute, and then- ." The Jailer was cut off as Terna suddenly burst into the room.

"Jailer! Jailer! That young girl, she's gone!"

"What?" the Jailer shrieked.

"She's gone?!" the Doctor exclaimed.

The Jailer shoved him aside as he sprinted out of his office and down the corridor to Susan's cell.

He peered through the barred window, scanning desperately for any sign of the prisoner, but found none.  
"She's gone!"

Desperately, he fumbled for the keys at his belt, but never got them as Terna knocked him out with her sword hilt.

The Doctor took the keys from him and unlocked the door.  
"Come along, child, quickly!" he urged Susan, who gratefully exited the cell.

The trio of aliens made to leave, but they ran straight into LeMaitre.

The warden looked at them, momentarily startled.

"Guards! Guards!" he hollered before any of them could respond.

Once again, the Doctor, Terna, and Susan found themselves surrounded by guards.

The Jailer picked himself off the ground, massaging his head. "They tricked me, Citizen. They tricked me!"

"Lock her away," LeMaitre ordered the guards. One of them grabbed Susan and shoved her back into the cell, locking it securely behind her.

"They did as you said they would, Citizen," the Jailer continued, "They tried to get the young girl released, and he let the other prisoner go."

"Oh, spare your breath, please!" the Doctor snapped at him, "I'm quite capable of explaining the situation myself."

"All right, Jailer," LeMaitre urged him before turning to the Doctor and Terna. "I think it's about time we had a talk."

()()()

"I must insist that you release that young child immediately!" the Doctor cried.

"I'm afraid you're not in a position to insist on anything at the moment," LeMaitre calmly replied.

"Position, sir?" the Doctor exclaimed, "Do you realize who you're talking to?"

"Not yet. But I intend to find out. Do you recognize this, Citizen?" LeMaitre held up the Doctor's ring.

The Doctor felt like his hearts had switched places with his stomach; it was a struggle to keep his expression neutral.  
"No. Should I?"

LeMaitre opened a drawer on his office desk and pulled out the Doctor's clothes.  
"And these? They're yours, aren't they? Given in exchange for those rather splendid clothes and the insignia of a Regional Provincial Deputy."

"Do you know that's the biggest fairy story I've ever heard in my life," the Doctor declared.

"Utterly ridiculous," Terna agreed, "Those clothes could belong to anyone. You're grasping at straws, LeMaitre."

LeMaitre glared at them. "I could have had you both arrested any time I wanted!"

"Yes. Why didn't you then?" the Doctor demanded, casually sliding the ring back on his finger.

LeMaitre rolled his eyes. "Please, please, keep it," he grumbled sarcastically. "Why didn't I? Well, with the political situation as it is, and my position being what it is, I need friends even if they're enemies. People I can call on for help. If I have something on them, so much the better."

"It's become quite obvious to me why you didn't wish us to leave the prison," the Doctor stated knowingly.

"I knew I'd never see you again if you did," LeMaitre replied.

"But you relaxed the regulations today," Terna remarked, "We could have walked out any time we wished."

"And leave your granddaughter? Just an assumption, but obviously correct," LeMaitre surmised, noting both Terna and the Doctor's stunned expressions. "I knew I had you so long as she remained here under lock and key. If you remember, when I first met you, you were inquiring after your friends. The young woman, whom the jailer says you've just released, the girl and, what was his name? Ian?"

The Doctor was astounded. "So you knew all the time?"

LeMaitre smiled. "Let's just say I added to my knowledge. Listening at doors can still be effective."

The Doctor sighed, realizing the game was up. "What do you want?"

LeMaitre looked delighted. "Ah. So I see we understand each other. If you agree to help me, your granddaughter will be released after you have kept your side of the bargain."

"You can't possibly think- ." Terna started, but the Doctor held up a hand to silence her.

"The least we can do is listen."

"Good. Now, I'm reasonably certain that your group are working with, or for, Jules Renan. I think you used his hideout. Certainly you know where it is, and if you don't, your granddaughter does.

"I have never met the man!" the Doctor asserted, "Oh, I fully appreciate why you must want to find him, but if you think that we are going to betray him, then you are a very poor judge of character."

The smile never left LeMaitre's face. "If you want your granddaughter released, you will have to take me to his hideout."

"Never," Terna retorted. "We refuse!"

LeMaitre's eyes narrowed. "I repeat: if you want your granddaughter released, you do not have a choice."

()()()

Barbara sat on the sofa in Jules's sitting room, having not said a word to anyone since she'd learned of Leon's death.

She looked up as Ian entered.  
"Where's Jules?"

"He went to the end of the street, to look for Susan Terna, and the Doctor."

"Well, the Doctor would have to wait for the right moment," Barbara surmised.

"Yes, but how long can we wait?"

"Oh, I don't know." Barbara dropped her eyes, wringing her hands. "Whenever somebody passes the house, I think it might be them."

"Yes, I know." Ian sighed, moving to sit on the couch beside her, "Barbara, I'm sorry about Leon, but it really was the only way. Believe me."

Barbara sighed. "I know. I wanted to apologize to Jules." She shook her head, tears once again threatening to fall, "I'm so sick and tired of death, Ian. We never seem able to get away from it."

Before Ian could respond, Jules entered.  
"There's no sign of your friends."

"Well, we must wait a little longer," Barbara declared.

"I left the door unlatched," Jules replied.

"Oh, so now anyone can walk in?" Ian almost snapped.

"Try and be patient, Ian," Jules urged. "I know these long hours of waiting only too well. I've had my share."

Barbara looked to him, her eyes shining. "Jules, when I spoke to you before, I…The things I said."

"You said because of Leon," Jules finished for her. "Yes, I know, but I did what I had to do because of what he represents. Do you ever wonder why I'm doing these things, hiding in shadows, fighting in corners?"

"We took it for granted you belonged to the other side: the aristocracy," Ian admitted.

"No, I have no title or position," Jules replied with a shrug. "I belong, well, in the middle. But I hate to see order thrown out of the window like so much dust. There can be no loyalty or honor where anarchy prevails."

"And Leon was your friend," Barbara whispered.

"There are only two sides today, Barbara," Jules explained, "Those who rule by fear and treachery, and those who fight for reason and justice. Anyone who betrays these principles is worse than the devil in hell."

At that moment, the door opened.

Ian rose to his feet. "Here they are."

The Doctor entered along with Terna, but Susan was not with them.  
Someone else was.

"LeMaitre!" Barbara cried as she and Ian jumped to their feet.

Jules reached for his pistol. "Your friends have betrayed us!"

"Hold it! Whoa, put the gun down," Terna urged, holding up her hands in submission.

"Have you brought the soldiers?" Ian demanded of LeMaitre.

"No, I came alone and unarmed," he calmly replied. "Ask your friends."

"We did come alone, my boy," the Doctor confirmed, "We made a bargain."

"A what?" Ian gaped.

"Ian, let him speak," Terna urged. "He holds Susan prisoner."

"What could you have to say to us?" Jules spat, his hand never leaving the weapon at his hip.

LeMaitre raised his hands. "Please, I come as a friend."

"A friend?" Barbara asked.

LeMaitre nodded. "Ian will tell you that what I say is true."

Ian blinked. "I will?"

"Well, surely you realize that your escape from prison was arranged?" LeMaitre replied as though this were obvious. "I saw to it that you got the key, and I took care of the jailer."

Ian gawked. "You did? Why? Why should you do that?"

"I was certain in my own mind that Webster gave you a message to deliver," LeMaitre replied. "You had to have the opportunity to deliver it. Unfortunately, I don't have enough time to wait now. I have to collect.

"Collect?"

LeMaitre smiled. "Yes. I am James Stirling."

Ian reeled, shocked. Everyone was. "Stirling? You?"

LeMaitre, or Stirling rather, laughed. "Is it so surprising? You must have already decided that to be of any use I would have to hold some position of authority."

"Why have you not made yourself known here before?" Jules inquired, "Webster had been told about me."

"I've been in France several years," Stirling explained. "When I came over you must have been unknown to us; although, I'm not sure I would have contacted you even if I could. I prefer to work alone."

"You could have made yourself known to me in prison," Ian stated.

"Yes, but I didn't know whether I could trust you," Stirling replied, "After all, I had no idea who you were. I also could have been overheard. No, Ian, I took the only course possible."

"That's all very well, LeMaitre, Stirling, or whatever your name is," the Doctor interjected, "But the only reason Terna and I brought you here was to help Susan. And we've kept my part of the bargain."

"I know, but let me explain my position."

"I certainly will not!" the Doctor snapped, "I want my granddaughter out of that prison!"

"Doctor, calm down," Terna urged.

"She already has been out of that prison, and she was rearrested," Stirling reminded him. "I will help you if you will help me. Don't you see? I can use my authority to get safe passage for all of you to wherever you want to go."

"But look here- ." The Doctor started, but Ian cut him off.

"He's right, Doctor."

"Yes, but you have to promise no harm will come to Susan," Terna added to Susan.

Stirling nodded. "I promise. I gave orders that she was to remain in the cell. Now you know that's true. The Jailer would die rather than see that cell door opened again."

"Very well" the Doctor relented, "If you must tell your story, then get on with it."

Stirling turned to Ian. "First, the message."

"Oh, Webster said very little," Ian admitted. "He was badly wounded as you know."

"Yes. I know that," Stirling replied, "I read reports of all arrests in case something like this happens. It's why I came to your cell, I realized that he could have been Webster. I've been expecting to be contacted for months."

"He didn't know where you were, or even where I could find you," Ian added.

"No, the plan was that he was to look for and recognize me." Stirling dropped his eyes, "He was a good friend."

"Ian, the message." Terna pressed.

"He said you were to return to England immediately," Ian informed Stirling, "It seems that whatever information you have is wanted there urgently."

Stirling arched a brow. "Nothing more?"

Ian nodded. "That was all Webster said."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, he mumbled occasionally," Ian admitted, "Odd words. But what I've just told you was all he asked me to tell you."

"What were these mumblings about?" Stirling inquired.

"Oh, well, they didn't really make sense," Ian replied. "He was unconscious; he said strange things. I can't really remember now."

"He may have realized that he didn't have very much time," Stirling inferred.

"Yes. I'm afraid I can't remember them," Ian added.

"Well, I'm already planning my return to England," Stirling declared, "But before I go, and before I can give you all safe passage, there is one more piece of information I must have."

"You asked for our help. What can we do?" Barbara asked, "You have all the power."

"Robespierre sent for me today," Stirling explained, "There is another plot to depose him."

"Will it succeed, do you think?" Jules asked.

Stirling shrugged. "Possibly. He gave orders that I should follow Paul Barrass, a deputy, and report back on a meeting."

"Barrass…Meeting…Webster did speak of that," Ian recalled.

"What did he say?" Stirling asked.

"Well, nothing specific but he said Barrass, meeting, and something about a sinking ship," Ian replied. "No. No, _The_ Sinking Ship. That was it!"

"Just a moment. There's an inn called _The Sinking Ship_ on the Calais Road," Jules exclaimed, "It would be ideal for a secret meeting."

Stirling nodded. "Right. Better than following him, we can plan a reception committee. If I can discover the results of this meeting, I'll be ready to return to England, and I'm free to help you."

"Have you any idea who Barrass is meeting?" Barbara asked.

Stirling shook his head. "No, but whoever he is, he could be the next ruler of France."

"I still don't understand why you need our help," Ian remarked.

"Barrass knows me by sight, I'm sure of that. He could even know of you, Doctor," Stirling explained. "Now my plan, if you agree, is for Barbara and Ian to attend the meeting."

"Nonsense!" the Doctor exclaimed, "It's far too risky."

"Why not use your own men?" Ian inquired. "You would still learn the details."

"True, but then they would also know, and they may talk. Then I have no advantage."

Barbara turned to Ian. "I think we should go"

Ian sighed. "It's risky, but we're not going to get away without help."

"Quite so," the Doctor agreed, "And there's Susan to think about."

"Then you agree to go?" Stirling asked.

Barbara nodded. "Yes."

"We agree," Ian added.

"I'll go too," Terna piped up, "My role in all this has been pretty irrelevant, and I also wish to help."

Stirling nodded. "Very well, the Doctor and I will remain here. If we're seen, it could hinder you, or worse."

"I'll take them to the inn, Stirling," Jules offered, "If you've no objection."

"Good. I was going to ask you to. Now, when you get there I suggest that the innkeeper- ."

"You can leave it to us, Stirling," Jules replied with a sly smirk.

Stirling relented, smiling slightly. "Sorry, I know I can. You should have little difficulty getting there tonight. Stay the night and return here tomorrow morning. That way you won't run into any patrols. Now, where exactly is this inn, Jules?"

"It's a good two hours ride. We'll take the Calais road and ride due north. When we reach this fork we'll see a forest. We'll circle it and ride west."

"Alright then," Terna declared, "Let's get going."

()()()

_The Sinking Ship _was a rather rundown little tavern, but Terna supposed that might be the point. She and Barbara were masquerading as waitresses, the latter serving Jules drinks as he sat by the door.

"Thank you," Jules said as she handed him a beer.

"Well, if this is a typical night's trade, I'm not surprised this place was chosen," Barbara whispered to him.

Terna approached them. "I've bound and gagged the innkeeper and left him in the wine cellar. He'll be found when we leave."

"Ian's nearly finished," Barbara added.

Jules nodded. "Good."

Barbara glanced around at the nearly empty tavern. "You know, if Barrass doesn't arrive soon, he'll find the place closed."

"Perhaps that's what he's waiting for," Jules offered.

Barbara nodded in agreement before she and Terna hurried to the back room to check on Ian.

When they entered the back room, they found him furiously whittling away a small hole just large enough for a single eye through the wall behind the bar.

"Are you through?" Barbara aske.

"Yes, I think that'll do it," Ian replied. "Many out there?"

"Just two. They look set for the night."

"And Jules, of course," Terna added.

"What did you do with the innkeeper?" Ian asked her.

"Put him in the cellar."

"Good." Ian paused for one last look at the spy hole. "Yes, looks all right. Now we're ready for them."

At that moment, the door opened with a fierce gust of wind and a cloaked man stepped into the tavern.

From his spot in the corner, Jules signaled with his pipe that it was Barrass.

Ian hurried forward. "Ah, let me take your cloak, Citizen. Horrible night."

Barrass eyed him suspiciously. "Where is Jacques?"

"Ah, Jacques? Oh, he's sick," Ian replied quickly. "He asked me to help him out. You must be the citizen who ordered the room. This way. This way, Citizen. Here we are."

He led Barrass the back room where Barbara was waiting for him.

"Can I get you anything, Citizen?"

"Yes, some wine."

"How many guests are you expecting?"

"Just the one."

Barbara nodded before heading over to the bar.  
"There'll only be two of them," she whispered to Terna as she hands her a bottle and two glasses

Barbara took them into the back just as the other bar patrons left.

"Goodnight!" Ian called to them.

"Goodnight!"

As soon as the door closed, Jules jumped up and slipped outside to stop any more unwanted customers.

"As soon as his guest comes you can lock up," Ian whispered to Barbara.

Outside, the sound of a coach pulling up in front of the tavern can be heard. A few minutes later, a man in uniform came inside and went straight through to the back room.

"Did you see who it was?" Barbara whispered.

Ian shook his head. "No. Did you?"

"No."

They hurried behind the bar where Terna was standing on tip toe, squinting through the peephole.  
"Can you see?" Barbara asked her.

"Yes, the other man took his cloak off. Barrass is talking to him."

"Do you know who it is?"

"How would I know? But Barrass did call him General."

"Here, let me see," Ian offered. Terna stepped aside, and he crouched down for a look.  
"Barbara! It's Napoleon. Napoleon Bonaparte!"

"Shut up," Terna hissed, clapping a hand over his mouth.

All three of them pressed closer to the wall, so as to hear what they were saying.

"We're quite safe here. I made certain I wasn't followed," Barrass declared.

"The meeting place was well chosen," Napoleon replied.

Barrass nodded. "I, uh, assume from your presence here that you're interested in my proposition."

"Interested, obviously. But, no more. At least, not until you disclose the full details."

"Robespierre will be arrested after tomorrow's convention meeting."

Napoleon looked unconvinced. "Will be? It won't be the first attempt."

"But it will be the successful one," Barrass insisted, "He'll be tried and executed before his friends have time to reorganize."

"You make it sound simple, Barrass. I think you underestimate Robespierre. He has a talent for commanding support."

"Only if he is allowed to speak, and he won't be able to."

"As far as I'm concerned, your success or failure means very little to me."

"Oh, possibly, but only for the immediate future. Success could well mean that I would take control of the governing committee."

Napoleon looked intrigued. "Would it be within constitutional rights?"

"The constitution could be amended," Barrass replied simply. "Oh, I'm well aware of your disgust for politicians, tearing France to pieces while her enemies wait to pounce."

"Exactly," Napoleon replied. "What is your proposal?"

"I believe that to rule a country successfully, one needs a certain support from the people being governed."

"Agreed, and how do you plan to raise that support?"

"With you: your victories, inspiring victories, in the Austrian Wars have made you a public figure. You're a hero in the people's eyes."

Napoleon arched an eyebrow. "And in your eyes? A useful prop for your new government."

"Oh, come, General. You would be more than just a figurehead."

"Yes, I know I would. I'm glad you appreciate it. In which capacity would you require me to serve?"

"The constitution amendment would call for a government of three consuls," Barrass explained, "You would be one of them."

"When would you require my decision?"

"Now."

"If I refuse?"

"You're in a strong position, Bonaparte, but hardly indispensable. There are other young men equally ambitious."

Napoleon smiled, seemingly realizing Barrass was right.  
"I accept, dependent on Robespierre's downfall. In the event of failure, I shall of course deny this meeting ever took place."

Barrass nodded in understanding. "I will summon you to Paris as soon as a suitable time has elapsed."

"I shall be ready to take over."

()()()

Stirling was aghast. "Napoleon? Napoleon as ruler of France?"

"Yes. As one of three consuls," Barbara concluded.

"He won't be content with that," Stirling declared, "I've watched his promotions. Bonaparte's clever and ambitious. If he gets a foothold to power, one day he will rule France."

"Our only concern now is Susan," the Doctor reminded him.

"She's only part of it, Doctor," Stirling insisted. "If they take Robespierre to the prison we might find it hard to get in there, let alone get out."

"You made a bargain with us," Terna declared.

"And I'll keep to it."

"You knew this might happen," Ian inferred.

"Yes, but I had no idea Barrass was so strong," Stirling replied, "Jules. What time is this convention meeting?"

"It will be over by now."

"Then Robespierre could already be under arrest," Stirling mused, "I must find out. There may still be time."

"You'd keep Robespierre as ruler of France?" Barbara exclaimed.

Stirling smiled grimly. "It is better than the alternative."

"We need a strong government, but not a military dictatorship," Jules agreed, "And it could happen."

"It will happen," Barbara whispered.

"Oh, save your breath, my dear," the Doctor chided before turning back to Stirling. "Do as you think fit. I'm going off for Susan."

"I'm coming with you," Terna added.

"Yes and take Barbara with you as well," Stirling said to them, "Let her hide outside the prison. Jules?"

"Yes?"

"Get a carriage. Take her to the prison. If there are crowds, wait until they disperse. Barbara will watch out for you."

"Right."

"If you can get Susan, take her and join Barbara and wait for the carriage," Stirling added to Terna and the Doctor, "Ian and myself will join you as soon as we can."

"Where shall we go?" Ian asked.

"To the palace. We'll get news of Robespierre. If you're not outside the prison when we return, I'll come for you."

"Go with him, my boy," the Doctor urged Ian, "You can at least make sure that he helps us."

Ian nodded. "All right. I'll see you outside the prison. Good luck."

"Same to you," Terna replied.

"Take care, Ian," Barbara added, a small smile playing on her lips.

"What is it? What do you find so amusing, hmm?" the Doctor asked her.

"It's this feverish activity to try and stop something that we know is going to happen," Barbara replied. "Robespierre will be guillotined whatever we do."

"I've told you of our position so often," the Doctor reminded her.

"Yes, I know. You can't influence or change history; I learned that lesson with the Aztecs."

"The events will happen, just as they are written," Terna mused, "We can't stem the tide, but at least we can stop being carried away with the flood!"

"Yes," the Doctor agreed, "And now, Susan and the prison."

()()()

Ian and Stirling sprint down the halls of the palace, heading for Robespierre's office. As they approach, they hear the Tyrant himself addressing some men that had flooded his office with hostile intent.

"…If, citizens, you swear your allegiance to me now, I will promise your safety. I promise to save France. I will promise-!"

BANG!

Stirling started forward, but Ian held him back.

"Ha! That'll keep you quiet for a while," a soldiers bars. "No more talk out of him. Come on, Citizen, to the prison."

Stirling and Ian flatten themselves against the wall as the pack of soldiers drag a bleeding and gasping Robespierre out of the office and down the hall.

"You should have let me go in, Ian," Stirling whispered.

"No, Stirling. Robespierre's finished," Ian asserted, "We were too late."

Stirling nodded. "Yes. Did you hear the men? They're taking him to the prison."

"Yes, it's up to the Doctor now."

()()()

When the Doctor, Terna, and Barbara arrived at the prison, it was pouring rain.

"I think we're going to have quite a storm," the Doctor remarked as they crouched in the overhang of a building across from the Conciergerie.

"Yes, we were lucky to find shelter so near the prison," Barbara agreed.

"The prison that Susan's still in," Terna added.

"Hmm, we've waited around here long enough," the Doctor declared. "It's far too conspicuous. I think the carriage might be here when I return. Will you be all right?" he asked Barbara.

"Yes, of course."

"I think I'll go and get Susan, or at least try. Terna, come with me."

"Of course."

"Be careful," Barbara urged them.

()()()

When the Doctor and Terna entered the prison, they found the Jailer drinking with several guards.

"Up with the Revolution," the man exclaimed, a stupid grin across his face. It faded when he saw the Doctor and Terna "You! You came back."

The Doctor smirked. "I see you did not expect us."

"No, but I am glad you came," the Jailer replied, stumbling over to them, "I still have a score to settle with you two."

Terna raised an eyebrow. "Really? I see you haven't heard the news then."

"Who hasn't?" the Jailer scoffed. "Robespierre has been overthrown!"

"Yes, and LeMaitre was shot trying to run away," Terna continued.

The Jailer paled. "LeMaitre, shot?"

"Shot," the Doctor confirmed. "And now I've come to deal with his accomplices."

The Jailer staggered back. "W-Who are you?"

"Why do you think a high-ranking official like myself came to Paris, hmm?" the Doctor replied teasingly, "I was part of the plan."

"We both were," Terna agreed. "We came to make sure of Robespierre's downfall."

"I-I didn't know, Citizens," the Jailer stammered.

"No, you didn't, did you?" the Doctor agreed, "And that is why you didn't expect us to come back. You thought you'd get away with it."

The Jailer's eye widened, "G-Get away with what?"

"Being LeMaitre's accomplice. Take him!" he baked to the soldiers, who jumped up and grabbed the Jailer. "You were LeMaitre's accomplice, weren't you? You did help him to carry out his torturous actions?"

"I only carried out the orders I was given, Citizen," the Jailer protested.

"Orders? Orders!" the Doctor scoffed, "Don't tell me that, my man, I was there, remember? I saw you conniving with him all the time."

"I didn't, Citizen," the Jailer wailed.

"It was you that betrayed me and my wife to LeMaitre, was it not?"

"Well, after all, Citizen, your wife did hit me on the head," the Jailer grasped desperately, "And how was I to know LeMaitre was a traitor? And, well, you, Citizen, you, well, that was a secret wasn't it?"

"Well, I suppose there's some logic in that," the Doctor admitted, "I can't decide whether you're a rogue or a half-wit or both. Ha!" he chuckled at the Jailer's terrified expression, "However, I will give you the benefit of the doubt."  
He turned to the guards "Get out. Now, while we're reconsidering the post of jailer you may stay here in a temporary capacity."

The man gasped with relief as the guards released him and left. "Thank you, Citizen. You won't regret it, I promise you."

"I hope not. Now, Robespierre's friends smuggled him away after the convention," the Doctor explained, "The soldiers are after him. He will be caught and probably brought here."

"Ah, well we'll look after him, Citizen. Never fear," the Jailer reassured him.

"Tomorrow there will be a new bunch of prisoners," Terna added, "Robespierre's friends, so I hope everything will be ready, including the cells?"

"Well," the Jailer hesitated, "Shall I release the prisoners, Citizen?"

"Certainly. Now let me have the key to the dungeon."

()()()

Outside the prison, Barbara saw soldiers arrive at the prison gates.  
"Open up! We've got Robespierre!"

"Are the Doctor and Terna back yet?" Ian asked her.

"No, but they've got Robespierre! I've just seen them take him into the prison."

"Yes, we followed them here," Stirling replied, "Perhaps I'd better go and see what's happened."

"You stay where you are, Stirling," Ian urged, "You set one foot inside that prison and you'll be arrested. We must wait until Jules arrives with the carriage."

"And you obviously didn't get to Robespierre," Barbara whispered to Ian.

"No."

"We saw him taken," Stirling added, "He was shot in the jaw."

"Is Jules going to be able to see us from here?" Ian asked Barbara.

"I think so. At least this storm will allow him to pull up in front of the prison."

"I shall be heading for Calais," Stirling continued, "I can get a boat from there."

"Good. We can save you some time," Ian said to him, "We're going the same way."

"While we're waiting, you might as well explain exactly where it is you're making for," Stirling replied.

"Well, as far as I can remember from the map I saw in the hideout, we head north of Paris," Barbara explained.

"Here's Jules!" Ian suddenly called as said man arrived.

()()()

The Doctor and Terna let Susan out of the cell.

"Oh, Grandfather! Terna!" the young girl exclaimed, rushing forward to hug Terna around the waist.

"It's alright, Susan," the Lyall assured her, tentatively hugging her back. "We're all going back to the TARDIS. It's all over now."

"Where are the others?" she inquired.

"Barbara's outside and Ian should arrive at any moment," the Doctor explained, "We have a carriage waiting."

"A carriage?" Susan smiled in relief, "Oh, that's better than a tumbril."

Terna laughed. "Yes, indeed."

The sounds of rioting coming from outside made all three of them turn towards the window.  
"What's happening?" Susan asked.

"They've just heard about the downfall of Robespierre," the Doctor replied. "A sort of celebration, you know?"

"Oh, look!" Susan pointed down the hall just as a group of soldiers dragged Robespierre inside.

"Jailer!"

"Yes. What is it?"

"A prisoner for you." They throw Robespierre at the Jailer's feet.

"Oh, Citizen Robespierre?" the Jailer bowed mockingly, "This is indeed an honor."

"Don't waste your breath on him," the soldier explained, "He can't answer you back. He tried writing us a letter but, too bad we don't read, eh?"

Susan gripped Terna's hand. "Let's go back to the Tardis."

"Yes, let's."

"The rabble are far too busy to bother about us," the Doctor added, "Everybody lived in fear yesterday of that man, and today-well, those at the top have the farthest to fall."

()()()

While waiting for the others, Ian talked with Jean while Barbara showed Stirling where they had left the TARDIS.  
"Yes, the fall of Robespierre has changed everything for me," Jean was saying as they slipped away.

"I'm sure it has, Jules," Ian agreed, "What are you going to do now?"

"First I must find Jean. Then I shall wait somewhere in the country and see how this situation in Paris develops."

"Going to be disturbed for a long time, I think," Ian mused.

"Yes, I know. I wonder who will emerge as the next ruler of France?

"Remember the name, Napoleon Bonaparte."

"Corsican?" Jules scoffed, "Ruling France?"

Stirling examined a map, noting the spot Barbara had indicated, "Well, if you're certain that's where you want to be left."

"That's the place," Barbara agreed. "We'll be safe there."

"Yes, but I don't-. " Stirling started, but Barbara cut him off.

"Please, no questions. Promise?"

"Very well, if that's what you want," Stirling relented, "Now then I'm going home, I just can't wait to see England again."

Barbara smiled wistfully. 'Oh, England. I know how you feel only too well."

"Why don't you all come with me?"

"Uh, no. We must travel our way."

Stirling eyed her oddly. "Barbara, who are you really? Where do you all come from?"

"Here they are!" Jules suddenly cried just as the Doctor, Terna, and Barbara ran up to them.

"Susan's with them!" Ian exclaimed.

"Ian!" the young girl rushed towards them.

"Now come along," the Doctor urged, "Don't stand around. It's too dangerous."

"Hurry," Terna agreed.

"Come, LeMaitre," Jules said to Stirling as they all clambered into the carriage. "We mustn't keep them waiting. I hope they have a pleasant journey."

"So do I. But to where, Jules?" Stirling mused. "Funny, I get the impression they don't know where they're heading for. Come to that, do any of us?"

()()()

One bumpy carriage ride and last farewells to Stirling and Jules later, the Doctor, Terna, Susan, Barbara, and Ian were all gathered in the TARDIS, finally able to discuss all they had transpired now that they were safely out of danger.

"Well, I can assure you, my dear Barbara," the Doctor was saying, "Napoleon would never have believed you."

"Yes, Doctor, but supposing we had written Napoleon a letter, telling him," Ian offered, "You know, some of the things that were going to happen to him."

"It wouldn't have made any difference, Ian," Susan replied, "He'd have forgotten it, or lost it, or thought it was written by a maniac."

"I suppose if we'd tried to kill him with a gun, the bullet would have missed him," Barbara added.

"Or it wouldn't have and then we'd have that mess with the Aztecs all over again," Terna reminded her.

"Well, it's hardly fair to speculate, is it?" the Doctor remarked. "No, I'm afraid you belittle things. Our lives are important, at least to us. But as we see, so we learn."

"And what are we going to see and learn next, Doctor?" Ian asked.

The Doctor smiled.  
"Well, unlike the old age, my boy, our destiny is in the stars, so let's go and search for it."

* * *

A/N:Next Week: Planet of Giants


	15. Planet of Giants

Chapter 15: Planet of Giants

* * *

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better, Susan," Terna remarked as she and the young girl headed to the Console Room.

"So am I," Susan agreed, "A good night's sleep in the TARDIS always does the trick: it's so calming."

"Yes, I suppose it is."

Terna recalled how she herself had woken up refreshed and renewed, a welcome state after their long ordeal in France. She couldn't even begin to fathom how in the universe the Doctor favorited the period so much, but she supposed his opinion might have changed after experiencing it first hand.

After she'd woken up, Terna had hurriedly gotten dressed, this time in something much more casual then usual consisting of black pants, leather boots, a white lace-trimmed buccaneer-style blouse and a silver choker set with a blue stone. Her golden blonde hair had been teased up and left to drap around her shoulders in elegantly messy waves. The Lyall had then went to go check on Susan to see if the girl had fully recovered from her illness, relieved to see that she had.

When they entered the Console Room, they found the Doctor as they always did, tending to the machine controls. "'Morning, Grandfather."

"How goes the space-time traveling?" Terna added.

The Doctor looked up and smiled. "Hello, you two. We're approaching a planet," he explained just as Ian and Barbara entered.

"Which one?" the former inquired.

"We shall soon see."

Barbara leaned against the console but almost immediately jerked her hand away. "Ow!"

"What's the matter, my dear?" the Doctor asked her.

"I've burnt myself," Barbara exclaimed, "Its hot!"

"Oh, something overheating here," the Doctor inferred, "Just as well we're landing. Susan, check the fault locator, please."

"Yes, Grandfather."

"We're not going to blow up or anything, are we?" Terna asked.

"Oh, no, no, of course not," the Doctor asserted, "It's just, well, there we were, in the late eighteenth century, and I tried another frequency to side-step the ship back into the middle of the twentieth century."

"There's something on QR18, Grandfather," Susan called to him from the fault locator, "And A14D."

From somewhere deep in the ship, a klaxon sounded, making everyone jump.  
There was a sudden woosh of air, and a bright light filled the space as the TARDIS doors swung open of their own accord.

"Grandfather!" Susan cried. "Grandfather, the door's opening!"

"What's happening?" the Doctor exclaimed as he frantically flipped switches. "Close the doors. We haven't materialized properly," he ordered Barbara and Ian. "Terna, hold this down. Quickly!" he added, snatching her hand and pressing it onto a lever.

"What do you mean, close the doors?" Ian asked.

"Don't argue, dear boy. It's an emergency!" the Doctor snapped, "Close the doors! Terna, keep holding that down!"

"I'm trying!" Terna retorted through gritted teeth, struggling to keep the lever firm.

Susan, Barbara and Ian rushed to push the doors closed, straining against their weight for a few seconds before finally slamming them shut.

Instantly, the madness stopped, and the Doctor stepped away from the console with a sigh of relief.

"Is everything all right now?" Barbara inquired of him.

"We're just landing."

"Are you all ok, Doctor?" Ian asked.

"What?"

"Are you all right?"

"Oh, please don't bother me. You can let go now, Terna," he added to the Lyall, who quickly released the lever.

"What happened just then?" she asked.

"Susan, go back to the fault locator, and I want you to check everything, child," the Doctor ordered sharply. "Do you understand? Everything!"

"Well, at least we seem to be all right," Barbara offered.

"Oh, don't be childish," the Doctor chastise, "They opened. The doors opened before we'd properly materialized."

"But what does it mean?" Ian demanded, "Look, you needn't keep it a secret from us."

"We deserve the right to know what's going on," Barbara agreed.

"Oh, don't go on with these futile questions, please," the Doctor exclaimed, "Can't you understand? Can't you see?"

Ian shook his head. "No, we can't. That's just it."

"We were just about to materialize, when the doors opened, and we hadn't properly adjusted," the Doctor explained.

"You mean something went out of the ship?" Barbara asked.

"No, that's impossible."

"Came inside?" Ian offered.

"Oh please," the Doctor exclaimed, exasperated, "Don't keep talking on the twentieth century level. I'm talking about time travel. Neither of you can understand what I'm talking about, I can see that."

"How could we?" Ian demanded. "You've never explained it to us."

"My dear boy, I- ." The Doctor was cut off as Susan rushed over to him.

"Grandfather, everything's all right. There isn't a fault anywhere, not even a yellow standby."

"There must be something wrong, Susan," the Doctor inssited, "I shall have to check that fault locator myself to make sure. Excuse me."

He brushed past the two humans and headed over to the fault locater in the fair corner.

"Oh, I do wish he wouldn't talk in riddles," Barbara exclaimed.

"So do I. Susan, perhaps you can help us," Ian asked of the young Time Lady.

Susan shook her head. "I just know the most dangerous moment is at the point of materialization."

"Nothing's ever happened to us before," Barbara remarked.

"Well the doors have never opened like that before," Susan replied.

"I wonder if perhaps the TARDIS was trying to tell us something," Terna mused, "You know, like before. She does have a rather funny way of communicating."

"Well, happily no harm's been done," the Doctor announced as he came back over, "It's most puzzling."  
He paused, noting the way the two humans were looking at him, "Oh, my dear Barbara, was I rude to you just now? If so I'm so sorry. I always forget the niceties under pressure. Please forgive me."

Barbara smiled. "There's nothing to forgive."

The Doctor grinned. "Thank you. Well, I suppose everything's all right, and you see the temperature there. It's quite safe to go outside. Susan, turn on the scanner and let's try and see where we are."

Susan obliged, flicking the switch. The screen lit up with static before suddenly exploding, sending flecks of white glass everywhere.

The group all jumped back in fright.

"It's shattered!" Susan cried.

"Perhaps you need a new tube, Doctor?" Ian offered.

"Did you notice the way it blew out?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes, it was like an internal explosion of some sort," Terna agreed.

The Doctor nodded. "Like something too big for its frame. That can't be right."

"What do we do now, Doctor?" Ian inquired, "Take the scanner out and strip it down?"

"Oh, no, no, no, dear boy. We mustn't risk doing that," the Doctor asserted, "To repair the device would require a procedure exceedingly more delicate."

"Yes, but now we don't know what's behind those doors," Terna reminded him.

"Well, we can always go outside and look," Barbara offered, "You said it was quite safe," she added to the Doctor.

"Yes, I wonder why the…?" the Doctor trailed off. "Well, we must see."

"Shall I open the doors then, Grandfather?"

"Yes, please, Susan. But all of you, cautiously, please."

Susan flicked the switch and the doors slowly swung open. She then moved outside without a moment's hesitation, Barbar following close behind.

Ian hung back. "Doctor, what made the doors open before?"

"The space pressure was far too great whilst we were materializing," the Doctor explained. "The strange thing is that we all came out of it unscathed. It's most puzzling. Yes, it's a big mystery, my boy. Come along. Let's go, Terna." He added to the Lyall, and all three of them excited the ship.

Outside the ship, the time travelers found themselves surrounded by tall walls of multi-colored grey stone. The ground beneath them was hard-packed dirt, and the sky a cloudless blue with a distant white sun peering down at them.

Susan and Barbara were nearby examining a tale green plant that seemed to be nothing but a stem.

"It's like a vine or something," the former remarked.

"Now why wouldn't the scanner show us all this, hmm?" the Doctor wondered aloud.

"It's not much to look at," Terna agreed, "Just a canyon of some sort."

"Perhaps that was the only damage to the ship, Doctor," Ian offered, "Overloading on the scanner circuits."

"Yes, I suppose so. It could be," the Doctor replied although he didn't sound convinced. "What a strange rock formation."

He moved over to the rock wall and ran his hand across it.

"Yes it is, isn't it?" Terna agreed, "There are two different types of rock, Doctor. Look, this is ordinary stone up here, but this down here seems to be quite different."

"Chesterton, come here," the Doctor called to Ian, "Look, isn't this cement?"

"It might be."

"Rather a rough kind, isn't it?" Terna added.

"Yes, very rough," Ian agreed. "They look like pebbles of sand, don't they?"

"It appears to be manufactured, to hold the stone in place," the Doctor surmised, "You know, to fix it firmly beneath."

"I'd have thought the stone was heavy enough to keep itself in place," Susan mused.

"Yes, it's all most odd, isn't it?" the Doctor agreed. "Most odd. Now, Barbara, I suggest that you, Terna and I take that path and Susan and you, sir, go that way," he added.

Ian nodded. "Yes, all right, but stay within calling distance, and if you see anything, sing out. We'll do the same."

"Be careful, Susan," Terna urged her as she and Ian headed off.

"I will."

The Lyall watched them go before turning around and coming face to face with something very large, very thick, and very slimey. Terna screamed and staggerd backward, falling to the ground.

"Terna! Are you alright?" the Doctor rushed over to her.

Terna pointed at the thing on the rock. "It's a snake!"

"Let's call the others," Barbara urged.

"Wait, wait, wait," the Doctor held up a hand to stop her. He slowly moved foward and placed his hand on the thing's skin, "Yes, I think its dead."

"A-Are you sure?" Terna stammered, scrambling to her feet.

"Quite. Come touch it and see for yourself. It's cold."

"No thank you."

"That's a fantastic size," Barbara observed.

The Doctor nodded in agreement. "No eyes, no head, and the skin's rather odd."

Barbara raised an eyebrow. "Odd?"

"Yes, it's a down. You see?" the Doctor ran his hand across the dead thing's skin.

Terna's eyes widned. "What? You mean like very fine hairs?"

"Indeed. Interesting, isn't it?"

()()()

Not too far away, Ian and Susna wandered through another part of the canyon.  
"Warm, huh?" the former mused.

"Yes. Ian, look at this." Susan rushed off the path and picked up a large, oval-shaped, milk-white object.

"That's odd," Ian mused as she passed it to him, "I suppose it could be an egg, but not many come in that size."

"There are more of them over there, look." Susan pointed ahead of them.

Ian turned the object over in his hands. "Ostrich? No, they're rounder than this."

"Strange, there are dozens of them over here," Susan rushed over to a cluster of the white objects gathered together. "There's a whole pile of them."

She glanced up and froze, finding herself not three inches away from the face of a large, black ant.

"Ian! Ian!"

Ian glanced up, his eye widening when he saw the bug. "Susan, don't move."

She obliged, holding her breath.  
The ant didn't move.

"Is it dead?" she whispered.

Ian relaxed, "Yes, it's dead all right, stiff as a poker. What a fantastic size."

"Yeah." Susan hurriedly scrambled to her feet.

"It's a giant ant," Ian mused as he approached the dead insect, kneeling down to get a better look.

"It's a fighter, isn't it?" Susan asked. "Looks as though it was trying to carry these eggs."

"Yes, well, it's natural behavior for an ant when it's attacked: take the eggs to safety," Ian explained. "The worker ants would rather give their lives than abandon the eggs, you know."

"Well, he couldn't have had much of a chance, could he?" Susan added almost sadly, "I mean, he must have died quickly."

"Yes. Look at these eggs scattered about. The other ants must have been frightened away." Ian rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I wonder what sort of a world could produce an insect that size."

()()()

"Well, here we are then," the Doctor called from the other side of the rock, "This is the tail end of it, and I know what it is: it's an earthworm."

Barbara's jaw dropped. "What?"

"There aren't worms that size on your planet, right?" Terna asked her.

"No, of course not."

"Yes, although, except for its size, I could swear that it came from your world," the Doctor mused, "Well, let's go on. Come along."

Barbara looked about them. "It's a bit like a maze, really, all these channels. We'd better be careful not to get lost."

"Oh, no, we won't, no," the Doctor asserted, "And I'm determined not to go back until we discover something more definite. At the moment we only have this mystery."

"What mystery?"

"Well, all this maze you're talking about. You know, I admit it's a bit haphazard, but it seems to have some kind of pattern about it. And this pattern suggests to me that there's a brain with a purpose behind it all."

"What, like a labyrinth?" Terna asked.

"Precisely."

"I wish there was someone to ask," Barbara remarked, "It's so quiet."

"Hello!" Terna called, cupping her hands around her mouth to magnify her voice.

The Doctor jumped. "What are you doing?"

"Seeing if anyone can hear us. Hello!" she called again.

"Stop that," the Doctor snapped, "We'll find our own way. Come on."

()()()

"Ian, I counted six of those dead ants."

"Yes, I know. They're all about us, everywhere. Now this is really baffling."

They paused in front of what appeared to be a gigantic billboard.

Susan cocked her head to the side, "A huge picture of Night-Scented Stock."

"Yes, it is, but why put up a picture of it?" Ian wondered, "I don't get it. The writing: Seed Company Limited, Norwich."

"Norwich!" Susan exclaimed, "That's England, isn't it? Norfolk."

"Yes, it is. Susan, this means we're on Earth," Ian cried, "But there's something very odd here. First those ants, now this. I suppose it couldn't be part of a crazy exhibition. You know, where everything had been increased in size."

"Maybe."

()()()

"Well now, this is interesting," the Doctor said as he approached some thin strips of wood leaning against the stone, "This has been cut by a manufacturer."

"Look out!" Terna dragged him back just as the pieces of wood crashed to the floor right where he'd been standing. "Are you all right?"

"Yes. Fine," the Doctor replied, slightly breathless. "Thank you."

"That was a near miss," Terna remarked with a slight smile, "It would have given you a nasty headache."

"Hey, look at the end of this," Barbara exclaimed, crouching down beside one of the fallen pieces of wood, "It's all charred."

"You can see quite clearly what this is," the Doctor said as he crouched down beside her, "It's a matchstick."

"It certainly looks like one," Barbara agreed.

"No, it doesn't just look like one, it _is _a matchstick."

Barbara gaped. "What, that size?"

"Don't you see? That huge earthworm and now this? Can't you see what's happened, hmm?"

Terna's eyes widened when she realized what he was implying. "Doctor, you don't mean…"

()()()

"I don't understand this at all, Susan," Ian continued as they continued to examine the billboard,  
"I'm going to have a look round the other side of this."

"All right."

Ian cautiously moved around the billboard only to come across a large open carodboard box about the size of a king sized mattress.

"Look at this matchbox," Ian exclaimed as he climbed inside it, "It must be an exhibition, Susan. Something like the World's Fair with things this size."

Susan bit her lip, slowly shaking her head, "No, Ian."

"Well, what else then?" Ian demanded, "Look at the scale of things."

"You're wrong, Ian," Susan continued to protest, "Completely wrong. I thought just now that something was wrong when I saw that, but now I'm sure."

"All right, what's your theory then?"

"These things haven't been made bigger," Susan whispered, "We've been made smaller."

()()()

"Smaller?" Barbara was aghast.

"We have been reduced roughly to the size of an inch," the Doctor declared.

Terna groaned. "You've got to be kidding me."

The Doctor nodded solemnly. "You, me, all of us and the ship. We must get hold of the others quickly and return to the Tardis."

()()()

Ian was horrified. What Susan was suggesting was…No, it couldn't be possible.  
"No, Susan, no. It can't be," he frantically shook his head in utter disbelief.

"I'm right, Ian. I know I am," the young Time Lady insisted, "That's the danger Grandfather was afraid of when the doors opened. He wouldn't admit it was possible, that's all."

"It isn't possible, Susan. It's ridiculous."

"Oh, Ian, work it out for yourself! The doors of Tardis opened. That means the space pressure caused us to reduce."

Suddenly a dark shadow passed over them, and there was a loud noise like a close by thunderclap

"What was that?" Susan cried.

"Run, Susan, run!" Ian shouted as the noise came closer and closer, the sound deafening like a series of explosions.

Susan staggered backward, blinded by the intensity of the noise.  
"Ian? Ian, where are you!" she called, desperately feeling about in front of her.

"Susan!" a voice called from far away.

"Barbara!" Susan scrambled to her feet; her head pounding with the aftermath of the noise.

"Susan, where are you?!" Terna yelled, her voice sounding closer.

"Terna, over here!"

Blinking rapidly, Susan turned around to see her grandfather, Terna, and Barabra come around the corner of an exceptionally large seed packet. "Oh, Barbara! Terna!"

The young Time Lady stumbled into the former's arm, trembling slightly.  
"Susan, what's the matter?"

"What's happened?" the Doctor asked her.

"There was a great big matchbox, a huge one, and Ian and I came to have a look, and he sat on it," Susan exclaimed breathlessly, "And there was this terrible noise, and he fell inside it, and now it's gone! It's gone, and Ian's inside it!"

"All right, Susan, it's all right," Barbara urged, trying to calm her down.

"What do you think happened?" Terna asked the Doctor.

"Well, someone picked it up, I suppose."

The group then made their way back to where they'd left the TARDIS.

Susan gestured to the stone walls lining the pathway, "We can climb this and see over the top." She then attempted to push herself up over the edge, "Oh Barbara, I can't reach it."

"All right, I'll do it," the human woman offered.

"No, let me do it," Terna offered.

"Be careful, Terna," the Doctor urged her.

"I'm fine."  
The Lyall propped her boot up on an outcropping and heaved herself up, peering over the edge of the wall. Her eyes widened, "Whoa, that's a long way off. There's a house over there, and there's a man sitting down, reading something. It's a notebook, I think."

"Does he have a matchbox?" Barbara asked.

"I don't know; I can't tell from here."

"Do you suppose he could have?

"Yes, I suppose so," Terna replied before nearly slipping. "Gah!" She regained her grip, "A little help?"

"Watch what you're doing, will you?" the Doctor grumbled as he helped Terna off the wall.

"Gently, gently, gently."

"I'm okay."

"Now, we've got to find Chesterton."

"Grandfather, supposing the man walks off with it?" Susan asked.

"Courage, my dear," the Doctor assured her, "I know this is all a bit of a nightmare, but we've just got to get Ian back and then we can go back to the ship."

"And then can you get us back to normal size, right?" Terna asked him.

"Of course, yes, I'll try. There's always a chance. But first things first: we must find Chesterton. We can't go back that way. We must go back the same way that we came."

()()()

The owner of the matchbox was a man by the name of Farrow. He sat on his house patio, reading a small notebook. He took a cigarette from a packet and puts it in his mouth. As he does so, he spies a cat cleaning itself and calls to it, but it takes no notice of him.  
Shrugging, Farrow put his notebook into the briefcase and was about to pick up his matchbox when another man offered him a light instead.

Farrow jumped, having not heard the other man approach. "Oh, hello. Thank you." He glanced up to see a hard faced man with thick black eyebrows smiling down at him, "Mr. Forrester, isn't it? I believe we spoke on the telephone."

The other man, Forrester, nodded curtly. "Yes, I got here as quickly as I could. I hope you haven't taken any action yet."

Farrow shook his head. "Not yet, but I have written my report."

Forrester narrowed his eyes. "You do realize what's at stake here, don't you, Mr. Farrow? The early experiments were noted by the Ministry, welcomed in fact. I've already geared factories, advertising and all the rest of it to start pushing DN6."

Farrow sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry about that, but I can't give you the approval that you want."

"We could, of course, spend more time on the refining," Forrester offered.

"Oh, there's much more to it than that," Farrow insisted, "As I mentioned to you on the telephone."

Forrester raised an eyebrow. "You want to bring in another expert to go over the tests again."

Farrow eyed Forrester curiously. "You're not a scientist, are you? Well, let me put it this way: on the surface, DN6 appears to have all the characteristics of a major breakthrough in the manufacture of insecticide, and I can quite understand why you've pinned all your hopes on it, particularly as my own Minister was so enthusiastic, but the very exhaustive tests I have made show that DN6 is totally destructive."

Forrester scoffed. "Well, that was the idea, wasn't it? I mean, Smithers said it'll even prevent locusts from breeding, wipe them out altogether."

Farrow shook his head. "I don't think I'm making myself quite clear; there are many insects which make a vital contribution to agriculture, and these insects must not die. Did you know that?"

"Does Smithers know about this?"

"Well, I have expressed my doubts to him, but he's so engrossed in this venture that I shall have to break the hard facts to him very gently."

Forrester looked thoughtful. "I see. You're aware, of course, that if it doesn't go into production, I shall be completely ruined."

"That is very unfortunate," Farrow agreed, "But really, you should have waited until we'd given you the go-ahead."

"Well that's all very well, but it doesn't help me, does it?" Forrester insisted, "Surely we can work something out; there's a fortune to be made out of this."

"I don't think I want to go on with this conversation," Farrow declared, "Really I shouldn't be seeing you at all, except that I did promise over the phone that I'd explain the facts to you in person."

"What happens now?" Forrester asked.

"Well, officially my holiday commenced yesterday," Farrow admitted, "I've a small boat down in the harbor, and I'm going to make a tour of the rivers of France, but before I go today, I shall telephone my Ministry and then post them my report."

"Couldn't you leave it until you get back from your holiday? Give me a little grace?"

Farrow shook his head. "Oh, you know I couldn't do that."

"Do you know why I'm a success, Mister Farrow?" Forrester asked, his eyes narrowing, "Because I've never allowed the word 'can't' to exist. There's always a way. Always."

"Not this time. This isn't business; this is science. The formula is unacceptable, and I can't, and I do mean _can't_, Mister Forrester, allow DN6 to go into production. Now, I'll make that phone call."

He moves to go into the house, but suddenly finds his path blocked by Forrester, who had drawn a small pistol.

"Just a moment."

()()()

The Doctor, Terna, Barbara, and Susan had been making their way along the garden path for about thirty minutes; however, it seemed more like they were weaving their way through a pathless jungle. The blades of grass grew up around them on all sides, tall as trees with pebbles as big as boulders littering the black dirt.

As the group moved around a thick cluster of grass, a bee suddenly fell to the ground in front of them.

Terna jumped back. "Yikes!"

Barbara gripped her arm. "Don't move."

Everyone froze, but the fluffy black and yellow insect, that was to them the size of an rhinoceros, didn't move.

"It's not moving," the Doctor remarked, starting forward.

"Don't touch it!" Susan cried.

"It's perfectly stiff," the Doctor insisted.

"It could still sting," Barbara reminded him.

Tentatively, the Doctor reached forward and touched one of the bee's stiffened legs.  
"Ha! What an awe-inspiring sight. Now what chance would human beings have, I really wonder, in the world of creatures like this bee, hmm?

"What chance would any of us have?" Terna replied.

Susan shook her head grimly. "None at all."

The Doctor nodded in agreemenet. "Although, there's something odd here."

"What?" Terna asked.

"The aroma, it's the same distinctive aroma."

"Yes, I've noticed it on all the other dead things," Barbara agreed.

"Well, that must be what's killing them, then," Susan surmised.

"What exactly would 'that' be?" Terna demanded.

"What worries me is all the different things it's killing," Susan continued, "Things that fly in the air, things that move on the ground, things that move under the ground. It's so indiscriminate."

Barbara turned to the Doctor.  
"Doctor, whatever it is that's killing these things, could it kill us too?

"Well, we must presume that it can, so no eating or drinking until we've done our very best to find Ian."

A sudden deafening noise like an explosion going off at close range erupts around them, knocking everyone senseless.

Terna gritted her teeth. "God, my ears are ringing."

"That's not thunder, surely?" Susan said to the Doctor.

He nodded in agreement. "Sounded more like an ancient cannon."

()()()

On the patio, Farrow is dead. Forrester calmly pocketed his slightly smoking weapon and steps over the body, ignoring the suitcase lying beside it.  
Ian cautiously climbed out of the matchbook lying beside said case, glancing around nervously.

()()()

"Well, we're progressing nicely," the Doctor observed as they neared the house.

"We've seen a lot more of those dead ants, Doctor," Barbara remarked.

"Yes. Rather wide-spread, I'm afraid," the Doctor agreed grimly.

"Oh dear, I wonder what would have happened to us if any of those creatures had still been alive."

"We'd probably be insect food," Terna replied, "We'd _definitely_ be insect food."

"There's Ian!" Barbara suddenly cried, sprinting forward, tearing through the blades of grass, as she rushed towards him.

The other three raced after her to find Ian weaving towards them through the grass.

"Barbara?"

"Oh, Ian!" she leapt into his arms.

"Chesterton, what happened?" the Doctor asked him.

"The man that took the match box, he had a fight with another fellow, and he was killed. The other man shot him!"

Susan's eyes widened. "What? And you saw this?"

"Yes, the man's over here." Ian gestured behind him.

"Oh, not any further, please," Barbara exclaimed. "I'm exhausted. It's taken us ages to get here."

"What's that smell?" the Doctor wondered aloud. "Cordite? Gunpowder, hmm?"

"That would explain the explosion," Terna remarked.

"The man's over here," Ian explained, "Its not far. Come on, and I'll show you."

Ian lead the others over to the gigantic face of a man lying on his side in the grass. The scent of blood was overwhelming as they approached. The man's face was ghostly pale, and he wasn't brathing.  
"He's been shot dead," Ian declared.

"Are you sure he is dead?" Barbara asked cautiously.

"Oh, yes."

Barbara closed her eyes, shaking her head. "There's nothing but death all around us."

"What's happening here?" Susan asked her grandfather.

"You weren't with us, Chesterton, but every insect we came across is dead," he explained to Ian.

Ian nodded. "Yes, Susan and I saw a great many huge dead ants."

"And everything else is the same here," Terna agreed, "Death is fresh in the air."

"Yes, and we don't know what it was that killed them," the Doctor continued, "But that man: he's been shot, murdered."

"What would kill insects in a perfectly ordinary garden?" Barbara inquired, "I mean, pests one can understand, but surely it's wrong to bees and worms and things, isn't it?"

Terna nodded, "Quite so: both are vital to the growth of things. However, I suggest we let this alone and get back to the TARDIS."

"I quite agree, my dear Terna," the Doctor declared, "Its fortunate for all of us that everything is dead."

Suddenly, Susan screamed. "Grandfather!"

The others whirled around only to come face to face with the gigantic yellow eyes of an exceptionally large cat.

"Don't move, any of you," Ian urged.

"Don't worry," Terna replied weakly.

"And whatever you do, don't look into the cat's eyes," the Doctor added, "It incites hostility. Close your own if you want to."

"Doctor, I can't- ." Terna started, but he cut her off.

"Shh!"

After a moment more, the cat dropped its eyes, licking its lips casually as it pawed at something on the ground.

"Doctor, I think the cat's losing interest," Ian proclaimed.

"Don't relax," the Time Lord urged, "One swipe of its paw would smash us to pieces."

A moment later, the cat moved off, scampering after something else along the garden path.

"Well, we can't get back to the ship just yet," the Doctor asserted, "You know how fast cats can move; I think it's mistaken us for mice, and I don't fancy being part of a cat's diet."

Barbara paled. "It gets more horrifying every moment."

"Couldn't we make contact with the people here somehow?" Susan offered.

"No, I'm afraid not," the Doctor replied.

"Well, why not? They might be able to help us."

"It's out of the question, my dear. How can we possibly communicate with them?"

When Susan looked confused, Terna explained, "Imagine a record played at the wrong speed, Susan. We're so small, we'd sound like a little squeak to them, and they'd sound like a low growl to us."

"Anyway, even if we could communicate, what would they do to us?" Barbara added, "We're freaks; they'd put us in a glass case and examine us through a microscope."

Susan looked disgusted. "Oh, that's a thought, isn't it?"

"Yes, and I would add another and more important factor: the people who live in this house are murderers, or at least one of them is," the Doctor reminded the others, "Therefore, we can't expect sympathy and understanding from an insane or a criminal mind."

"Yes, what about that dead man?" Susan agreed.

"Oughtn't we to do something about it?" Barbara added.

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, what can we do, my dear? Normally I wouldn't hesitate, but the destruction of the life force is frightful. I mean, what can we do as we are?"

Ian glanced around warily. "Well, I can't see any sign of that cat, for how much safety that gives us."

"Well then, shall we proceed?" the Doctor declared.

It suddenly went dark again, as though there was an eclipse.  
"What's that?" Terna cried.

Ian pointed ahead of them. "I can see a huge leg coming. Run!"

Everyone bolted. The Doctor grabbed Susan's hand and ran to the left, Terna sprinting after them. Barbara tried to follow Ian, but tripped.

"Oh, Barbara. Go on, Susan," Ian added to the young girl as she attempted to run back to them.

"Let me help you, Ian."

"Go on!"

"Susan, come on!" Terna grabbed her hand and pulled her away.

Ian helped Barbara up. "Sorry."

"It's all right. This way, quickly."

As Terna and Susan ran for cover, they looked back to see Ian and Barbara running away together just as a huge foot crashed down between them. The ground shook like a great earthquake, knocking Terna and Susan off their feet.

"Terna, they were almost stepped on!" the young girl cried as they scrambled to their feet.

Before them, the foot was raised off the ground, it's shadow momentarily leaving them before coming down again a short ways away.

Alongside it, Terna spotted the two humans running towards the patio.  
"They're all right. See? They're fine."

"You two, this way!" the Doctor called from where he was crouched in the shrubbery lining the house.

"Shouldn't we go over to them?" Susan asked him.

"No, no, it's dangerous. Let's go over to that pipe there." He took Terna's hand and pulled them into the darkness of the bushes, concealing them from the world of giants they were now trapped within.

Meanwhile, Iand and Barbara had climbed up onto the patio.  
"Quickly, Barbara, into the briefcase. It's our only chance."

()()()

Smithers, the other scientist working on the DN6 project was a nervous looking man with thin light hair and wire-rimmed glasses.  
He crouched before Farrow's unmoving body before straigtening up and turning to Forrester.  
"You're sure he's dead?"

"Of course I'm sure. Did you know he had a gun?"

Smithers shook his head. "He didn't seem the sort of man who'd need one."

"He pulled it out of his pocket and told me he was stealing the formula," Forrester explained. "I struggled with him. The gun must have been turned into his body. It went off."

As he talked, Smithers rolled the body over, peering closely at it.  
"I wouldn't try telling that story to the police, if I were you."

Forrester raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Why not?"

"Oh, don't be a fool! He's been shot through the heart from some feet away. Even I can see that, and I'm no expert. No powder burns around the bullet hole."

"You're very detached about it," Forrester observed.

"What did you expect, hysterics? I've seen more death than you could imagine." Smithers paused, running his fingers through his hair, "People dying of starvation all over the world. What do you think I started on research for? What puzzles me is how cool you are."

"I don't feel guilty if that's what you mean," Forrester declared, "I'm too busy working out what the implications are."

"Destroying the last year's work. That's what it means!" Smither's exclaimed, "And if that seems callous, well all right, it is. Farrow was pushed onto me, and he was a nuisance and a fool: always checking every minor detail. I've worked fifteen, sometimes sixteen hours a day, every day, on this experiment."

"Yes, I know."

"You don't know anything!" Smithers cried, stamping his foot. "All you care about is how much money you can make. Why did you have to kill him? Couldn't you have given him money, bought him off? Oh, what's the use?"

"Look, Smithers, I know what you put into the experiment, but this doesn't mean the end of everything."

"Of course it does. You've ruined everything! It's all finished, wasted."

"Not necessarily," Forrester smiled slightly, "Farrow was going on a holiday; he has a boat. He was going to cross to France by himself in it. It's anchored about ten miles away."

"Yes, I know."

"If the police were to find an overturned boat and a body out at sea somewhere…." Forrester continued.

"But- ."

"Don't worry; you can leave it all to me. I'll tow an outboard with me and come back in that."

"Well, that's your business; I don't want to know about it."

Forrester's smiled widened, "You say all I want out of the experiment is money, but you want something too, don't you? You want to see it finished, be known as the inventor of it. If the truth came out about Farrow, you can say goodbye to all that."

Smithers squeezed his eyes shut, visibly struggling with himself. "The experiment must go through!" he cried, his teeth clenched, "It's too important! Nothing else matters! Not if we can save people from dying of starvation. That's what I care about, Forrester."

"All right, we'll move the body. As far as you're concerned, Farrow left here to go to his boat. I'll put his briefcase in the lab first."

He picked up the leather case and carried it into the lab.  
"Let's move the body," he declared once he came back outside, "Where can we put him?"

"In the storeroom," Smithers replied quietly.

()()()

Forrester had put the briefcase down on the bench in the lab. As soon as he'd left, Ian and Barbara staggered out.

"Come on, Barbara, Let's get out of there before it moves again."

Barbara stumbled slightly, "Oh, that was worse than the 'Big Dipper'."

Ian nodded in agreement. "It was. We were lucky this case was full. Of course, it had to happen to us. Of all the places to pick, we had to choose one that was movable."

Barbara looked about them. "Have you any idea where we are?"

"It's a ceiling up there," Ian remarked, glancing up, "That means we're indoors and the Doctor, Terna, and Susan are outside. How's your ankle?"

"Oh, it's all right," Barbara massaged the spot on her leg she's hit when she fell, "I didn't hit it badly. Oh, I also bumped my knee against a large piece of metal."

"Well, there were a lot of things flying around in there. We were very lucky."

"Yes, but you know what the metal was?"

"What?"

Barbara laughed lightly, "It sounds ridiculous; it was a paperclip."

Ian shook his head, astounded at the absurdity of it all. "Yes, well, the only thing to do is to keep out in the open. If we must hide, hide behind things."

"Do you think we could find some water?" Barbara asked, "I wouldn't mind bathing my ankle for a bit."

"Yes, all right. I'll go and have a look over here."

()()()

Outside, the Doctor peered around a cluster of leaves, each one the size of a Perisan rug.  
"They've gone."

"It's much better when they're a long way away, isn't it?" Susan inquired.

The Doctor turned to Terna. "Are you sure you saw one of them pick up the briefcase and go into that building behind us?"

"Yes, the size difference did make it rather blurry, but my eyes still retain their sharpness, even as an inch high," the Lyall replied matter of factedly, "I'm certain Ian and Barbara are inside the house."

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully before ducking back behind the bush and walking over to a massive drain pipe connected to the house. "  
Careful, Grandfather. Don't fall down there," Susan urged, grabbing his arm.

The Docto covered his mouth, "Ugh. Awful smell of chemical in there."

Susan choked. "Yes. It's not just an ordinary drainpipe, is it?"

The Doctor shook his head, "No. I wonder if that pipe extends into the room where that briefcase went."

"Are you thinking of climbing up the inside of it?" Terna asked.

"Yes, yes, of course, my dear. There's no other way. If you look inside here, you'll see it's all corroded, so there's plenty of hand and foot holds. That chemical smell means that it's germ-free."

"It's too far for you, Grandfather," Susan urged.

"Well, if it is, I shall have to give up, and I'm not going to give up before I've tried," the Doctor declared, "Remember, you must think of the other two. They may need reminding they're only one inch high, and there's only the three of us to help them."

"All right," Susan relented.

"Let me go first," Terna offered.

"Yes, yes, yes, go on," the Doctor waved her off.

Cautiously, the Lyall clambered into the drain pipe, which was about the width of a bike tunnel to her miniscule size. Thankful she was wearing pants today, Terna felt about before her until she found a hand holde, pushed herseful up and started climbing.

()()()

Barbara was sitting on what appeared to be the corner of a gigantic notepad gazing about her, hardly able to grasp what she was seeing. Everything was far too large for her now exceptionally tiny eyes to process. She was an inch high; she still hadn't wrapped her head that. She never could have guessed that the life she'd lived as a simple high school history teacher could have lead to this.  
Curiousity, she supposed. And yet, despite a part of her, and it was a very large part, yearning to go home, she couldn't help but also relish in the experience she and Ian were sharing. It was unlike anything else in the world. It was special, and it was something fate had dealt her.  
She supposed that meant something.

All the same, she would much prefer exploring all of time and space at her normal size.

At that moment, Ian walked back over, jerking her from her thoughts. "Nothing much that way, except what I took to be a gas tap. No water, though, Barbara. Sorry."

"Oh, that's all right. Seems to be better now." She rubbed her leg slightly, "I've a shocking bruise on my knee, though."

Ian sighed. "I wish I could do something to help you."

Barbara dropped her eyes, feeling her cheeks redden slightly.  
"I think we ought to try in this direction."

"Right!" Ian agreed rather loudly, "Yes, well, it's the only one we haven't explored unless we go further afield."

"Now, let's see." Barbara slowly stood up, attempting to put weight on her ankle.

"All right?"

"Yes, that's fine," Barbara replied, wobbling a bit.

"Sure?"

She nodded. "Right. Let's try that way."

()()()

Susan's hands ached, her fingers scraping against the rough inside the drain pipe.

She gasped, nearly losing her balance. Could this experience get any more terrifying? First being surrounded by giant dead insects, then nearly getting stepped on and eaten by a cat, now crawling on a near niney degree angle up a drain pipe in total darkness.  
She supposed, given the experiences she'd had traveling the universe with her grandfather, she should be used to situations like this by now. However, she always found herself slightly overwhelmed by all the places she ended up, especially now that she wasn't just traveling with her mentor and paternal figure but others as well.

It was all one big mess, wasn't it? Not necessarily a bad 'mess' as she enjoyed Ian, Barbara, and Terna's company, and the misadventures they'd shared together certainly beat all the research projects she and her grandfather had to complete for Renaissance back on Gallifrey.

Yes, this was good, not the part about being an inch high, but everything else was good.

Susan nearly slipped again, pulling her from her musings. Breathing heavily, she regained her balance.  
"Are you all right down there, Grandfather?" she called over her shoulder.

"Yes, I'm all right, my dear," the Doctor called back out of the darkness, "I can manage very well."

"I think I can see a light up ahead," Terna yelled from a few paces above her, "We're almost there!"

"Good," the Doctor declared, "Well, onwards and upwards, my dear, eh?"

()()()

"Look at those enormous test tubes," Ian remarked, glancing up at the gigantic glass cylinders that appeared to be the size of telephone poles from their perspective.

"Ian, look at this," Barbara called from a short distance away.

"Hmm? Yes."

Ian walked over to where Barbara was examining a pile of seeds, each one appearing the size of a loaf of French bread.

"What do you suppose it is? Corn? Wheat?" she asked him.

"Wheat," Ian replied before directing his attention to the rest of the lab, "Still haven't thought of a way of getting out of this place."

As he spoke, Barbara bent down and picked up one of the seeds, turning it over in her hands.  
"Oh, yes, you're right; it is wheat. Oh, it's all covered in some sticky stuff like toffee."

"Hey, Barbara. Look at this," Ian cried, running a short distance away.

Barbara followed him, wiping her hands on her skirt, "Give me a handkerchief, will you?"

"Do you see what this is?" Ian exclaimed, gesturing to the gigantic notepad, "A book of litmus papers. Do you know how often I've held a bit of litmus paper in my fingers? Oh well, makes a handy seat."

He plopped down on the edge.

"Yes." Barbara agreed, sitting down beside him.

"You realize what this place is?"

"Oh, it's some sort of laboratory."

"Yes. I think it must explain those dead insects and things," Ian surmised, "They must be doing some experiments. Of course, it makes it all the more dangerous for us."

Barbara's eyes widened, "Why do you say that?"

"Whatever killed those insects could easily kill us."

"The Doctor said something like that." Barbara dropped her eyes, "I'd forgotten."

Ian smiled grilmy, "Well, don't touch anything, eh?"

Barbara paled; she glanced down at her hands, traces of the strange sticky substance still lingering on her palms. "But…But, Ian."

"I mean, look at the way these seeds are coated," Ian continued, getting back up and going over to inspect the pile. "They're obviously samples. Yes, I think they must be inventing a new insecticide and they've sprayed these seeds with it."

"Surely, I mean," Barbara stammered, jumping up and rushing over to him, "Couldn't it be just preserving oil?"

Ian shook his head. "I doubt it. Anyway, you keep away from it. Got a very distinctive smell, that's one good thing.

Barbara licked her dry lips. "I think we should find the others and get back to the ship."

"Yes, I know. I've been wracking my brains," Ian replied, pausing to peer over the edge of the large wooden table the briefcase had been placed on, "We're so high up here. Have you got any ideas?"

"No, I haven't. I wish I had."

Ian looked back at her to see that she was trying to hide the fact that she was very, very scared. He couldn't really say he blamed her; everything was a menace when you were only an inch high.  
"Hey, Barbara, we can get back, you know," Ian assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Barbara nodded, although she didn't look convinced. "Yes."

"All we've got to do is find a piece of string and get down to ground level," Ian continued.

"String would be too thick for us," Barbara asserted, "What we really need is a reel of cotton." She paused, closing her eyes ans shaking her head. "It's all so ridiculous, Ian."

He nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Barbara, we must concentrate on getting back. Just forget how absurd things are. Concentrate on getting back. Do you understand?"

"Yes, all right."

Ian smiled slightly before glancing behind him at the case, "Hey, that briefcase. Barbara, if we could find enough of those paperclips, we could string them together and make some sort of a ladder."

Barbara brightened, "Yes, that's an idea."

"Let's do it, eh? Come on, don't give up."

"I'm not giving up."

"Good, because the next problem is how to open the flap of the briefcase. I don't fancy struggling around there in the dark."

Barbara tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Oh yes, we might also find something in the briefcase which would tell us more about that stuff. That insecticide or whatever it is."

Ian shrugged, "Well, maybe, but the other things are much more important."

He then turned and crawled into the gap under the briefcase flap; Barbara watched him go before glancing down at her hands.

()()()

Susan's body ached; she had no idea how much longer they needed to climb in order to reach the end of the drain pipe.  
"Are you sure you're all right, Grandfather?"

"Yes, I'm all right. I'm coming, my child," the Doctor replied breathlessly.

"Ah!" Above her, Terna suddenly cried out, followed by a rough scraping sound.

"Terna, you alright?" Susan asked.

"Yeah, I just…I almost slipped."

"Be careful, would you?" the Doctor urged, "That'd be a nasty fall."

()()()

"Can you get the flap open?" Barbara asked Ian as he struggled with the briefcase buckle.

"I'm trying."

"Can I help?"

"No, I'm all right. Just give me a moment to think this out." He tried pushing at the lock, but it didn't budge, "Well, it doesn't push downwards, that's for sure."

"Try right to left, then," Barbara offered.

Ian grinned. "Great minds think alike." He then tried to move the buckle again, "No, doesn't move that way either. I'm going round the other side."

"All right."

Unbeknownst to Barbara, a gigantic fly had landed right behind her.

Inside the briefcase, Ian had finally been able to unclasp the lock.  
"Ah, success! I've done it, Barbara. Barbara?"

No response. Panicked, Ian rushed back out into the open to find Barbara standing not three paces away from a fly the size of a St. Bernard.

Barbara was staring at it; her eyes wide.

"Barbara." Ian took a step towards her. The fly turend towards him, clicking its spindly legs together. Barbara swooned and slumped forward.

Ian rushed forward, catching her before she hit the ground in a dead faint. Startled, the fly takes off; its wings sounded like a small helicopter.

There's a loud bang from across the room, and Ian quickly carried Barbara out of sight.

()()()

Smitheres and Forrester entered the lab. The former turned to glance warily at the latter.  
"You don't have to watch everything I do."

"I like to know what's going on," Forrester coldly replied.

"There's blood on the flag stones," Smithers replied nonchanlantly, "You don't seem to have noticed that."

"I shan't forget this, Smithers."

"Oh yes, you will. You'll forget all about it. Killing Farrow and whatever you do with the body, you'll rub it right out of your mind."

Forrester shrugged. "Well, of course."

"And don't think I'm doing this for you," Smithers continued, "But if there's one chance in a million of the experiment going through, of making it work, then I must do it. I must."

"That's sensible, practical."

"Practical? It's very practical, making me an accessory."

"Making?"

"Yes, making." Smithers pointed an accusing finger at Forrester, "You knew perfectly well how I felt about DN6, how much I'd put into it, how much it meant to me. You knew I'd help you. That's why you took me out and showed me Farrow's body, wasn't it? You'd do anything to get what you want, wouldn't you?

Forrester raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't you? Aren't you?"

They then leave, closing the door behind them. Had they stayed a second longer, they might have caught a glimpse of three tiny people clambering up the sink drain.

()()()

"Grandfather? Grandfather, we made it. We got to the top," Susan reassuered the Doctor, who was stumbling heavily, clearly exhausted.

"Yes, I know. Just leave me for a minute," the Doctor replied, sitting down on the edge of the drain, "I shall be all right in a little while."

"You alright? You look a little pale," Terna remarked.

"Oh, the smell of that chemical very nearly overpowered me," the Doctor replied.

"Terna, I think I heard some people talking just now," Susan chimed in, "I heard a sort of low growling sound like you said."

Terna nodded distractedly, looking around. "Speaking of voice, haven't you noticed how weird our own sound?"

"You sound fine to me."

"No, Terna's right: there's an echo," the Doctor confirmed, getting to his feet. "Yes, of course this is a sink. We're in a sink; it's all working like an echo chamber."

Terna smirked. "Actually kind of amusing. Hello!" she called, and her voice loudly reverberated around the whole space.

The Doctor winced. "Oh, stop that."

"Do you think Ian and Barbara are here, Grandfather?" Susan inquired, "How will we find them; this place is so huge."

"I don't know, child. I don't know."

Terna tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm? I wonder." She cupped her hands over her mouth, "Hello! Ian? Barbara?"

The Doctor jumped. "What _are_ you doing?"

"Voice projection. Echo chamber, remember? Hello!"

Susan brightened. "Oh, Terna's right. They might be able to hear us. Hello!"

()()()

Barbara awoke with a start.

"Take it easy," Ian urged her when she tried to sit up.

"Ian…"

"Are you all right? You gave me the fright of my life when I saw you lying there."

Barbara shivered, remembering the sight of the gigantic fly with its bulging eyes and pulsating body. "Did you see it?"

"The fly, you mean? Yes, I did. It flew off. It was frightened when those men came into the room."

"I just turned around and there it was. Its whole body was quivering."

"Well, don't worry about it now." Ian patted her arm reassuringly, "It's all over. It's dead."

"I thought you said it flew away."

"It did, but it landed on those seeds. It died instantly."

Barbara blanched, glancing warily to the wheat pile a short distance away. "Are you sure?"

"Well, of course I'm sure." Ian looked confused.

"I want to have a look." Barbara hurriedly got to her feet.

"Why?"

"It's all right," she reassured him, "I'm all right now."

She quickly made her way over to the seed pile to see the fly's carcass strewn on its side across the top.

"You can see the insecticide glistening on its legs," Ian remarked, coming up behind him, "Pretty lethal stuff. That fly must have died the moment it landed."

"Stop it!" Barbara shouted, grasping the sides of her head. "Just stop it!"

"Barbara." She looked to him to see he was looking down at her with a face full of concern.  
She didn't want tell him that she'd touched the seeds, but she…she needed to.

"Ian-" she began, but a distant voice cut her off.

"Ian! Barbara! Can you hear me?"

Ian jumped in surprise, "Susan?"

"Susan?" Barbara looked around wildly, "Where are you?"

"Can you hear us, either of you?" Terna's voice this time.

"That's Terna."

"It's coming from over there." Barbara pointed in the direction of a large sink.

"Yeah." Ian turned back to her, "What was it you wanted to say to me?"

Barbara shook her head. "Oh, that's not important now. Listen, if they've found a way in, that means we can all get out."

"I know."

"Ian! Barbara!" Susan called again.

"Why is her voice so loud?" Barbara wondered.

"I don't know," Ian replied, "Let's go find out."

()()()

"You mustn't expect to hear their voices reply, my dear," the Doctor said to Susan when she'd become discouraged at not hearing Ian or Barbara respond.

"How far can we expect our voices to carry, Terna?" she inquired of the Lyall.

"I don't know, Susan."

"Well, if we shout very loudly would the people here hear us?" the young girl inquired.

"No, no, Susan," the Doctor asserted. "No, our voices are much too high. It's a different frequency altogether, my child. Dog might be able to, perhaps, but, well, try it again."

"Ian!" Susan called.

"Barbara!" Terna added.

From up above them, a familiar voice called down: "There they are! Can you see them, Barbara? Doctor! Terna! Susan! We're up here!"

"Ian!" Susan exclaimed in relief.

Terna grinned. "Hey up there!"

"What uncanny good luck," the Doctor added.

"Oh, Grandfather, we found them."

"Yes, I know, my dear. I know."

Susan then turned to the two humans. "Climb down the plug chain to us."

"All right, we will," Ian replied, crouching down to examine the edge of the sink, "About thirty feet or thereabouts. Do you think you can make it?" he added to Barbara.

"Yes, I'll make it somehow. It'll be worth it to see them again."

"All right, let me go first."

He then grasped the plug chain, thick in his miniscule grasp and began to shimmy down it.

"The sooner we get out of here the better," the Doctor declared as they watched him climb.

"Can we climb down the pipe again, Grandfather?" Susan asked him, "It was difficult coming up."

"Oh, it's a sure way back down to the garden, I do know that."

"Yes, I just hope those men from before don't come back," Terna added grimly.

As they spoke, Ian was halfway down the chian as Barbara began to climb down. "How are you doing?"

"Oh, all right. There's plenty to hold on to."

"Good."

She nearly slips but manages to regain her hold.

"Careful," Ian urged.

()()()

Smithers and Forrester had just finished cleaning Farrow's blood off the stones.

"All right, let's go and get this muck off our hands," the latter declared, straightening up.

"There's a sink in the lab," Smithers replied.

()()()

A loud bang startled everyone.  
"Listen. There's someone in the room!" the Doctor cried, Someone's come back into that room."

"Go on up! Move!" Ian urged Barbara, frantically scrambling back up the chain, "Get out. Someone's here."

"Quick, down the sink again," the Doctor grabbed Terna's hand, and they hurried them over to drain.

"Grandfather, they're coming closer!" Susna exclaimed, staggering back as the thunderous sounds of the two men's footsteps drew closer.

"Don't lose your nerve," Terna chided, snatching her wrist and pulling her down into the drain, "Come on."

()()()

"Look at this," Smithers crouched down to peer at the small cluster of wheat gathered on the lab table. "That fly died instantly, the moment it landed on the seed."

"Which you sprayed with DN6," Forrester reminded him.

"But this is wonderful," Smithers proclaimed, "Think what would happen with locusts! DN6 will wipe them out."

"You don't have to keep on persuading me. I've seen the reports of every test you've made."

"But I can't see how Farrow hoped to get away with lying about the effects of DN6."

"He had us over a barrel," Forrester declared, his eyes narrowing somewhat. "He'd written the report. Now don't keep on about it, all right? He was a fool. Thought he could get away with it."

"You were saying he'd written a report."

"Yes. It's in his briefcase," Forrester gestured to said case sitting on the table. "It'll have to go to his head of department, but with some slight amendments."

Smithers shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I don't want to know about that. I don't want to listen."  
As he speaks, he goes over to the sink and puts the plug firmly in the plughole.

()()()

"Barbara, he's standing at the sink," Ian cried frantically, "I can see him standing at the sink. He's turned the tap on!"

The two humans watched, helpless as the blonde, bespectacled man finished washing his hands and removed the plug. The water started to drain away.

()()()

"Quickly, into the overflow pipe!" the Doctor called, pulling Susan and Terna back into the adjacent pipe.

As they backed out of the water's path, it suddenly rushed past them

"Oh God, it's freezing," Susan cried, stumbling slightly as she leaned forward to watch the water tumbling into the darkness below them.

"Stay back, Susan," Terna urged, grabbing her arm to pull her back.

"Terna, I-Augh!" Susan slipped and fell over the edge, tugging Terna down with her. She fell out of sight, tugging Terna down onto her stomach, her weight pulling her over the edge.

Her grip went slack, and Susan fell from her grasp.

"Susan!" the Doctor cried, starting forward.

"Hang on!" Terna dropped down and snatched the young girl's hand before she could fall down the drain; they dangled over the edge with Terna holding on to Susan with one hand and the edge of the overflow drain with the other.

Susan quickly looked down into the dark abyss of the drain and then back up to her hand weakly grasped in the Lyall's.  
"Terna!"

"Hold on, Susan. Don't let go."

"Terna, I can't. I'm slipping!" she strained.

"Calm down, it's going to be okay. Susan?" Terna called sharply as the young Time Lady's eyes wandered back down to the darkness below them and the freezing water crashing around them, splaying droplets across their skin and hair, "Susan, you have to listen to me: I need you to let go as soon as I swing you across the pipe."

"No!" Susan cried, her eyes wide, "Terna, I can' do that; I'll fall."

"No, you won't," Terna struggled to keep her voice even. She had to do this; she needed to do this. "I promise you won't, Susan. Look at me; trust me."

Susan looked up at her, her dark brown eyes were so deep and sweet like rich, melted chocolate. Slowly, she swallowed and nodded; Terna then swung her out across the pipe.

The young Time Lady flew forward practically in a free fall before crashing into the opposite wall, gripping a corroded hand hold. She slipped somewhat, but was able to gain a solid hold on the opposite wall.

"Grandfather!" she called, gasping with relief as she clung to the pipe's cold, rusted interior.

"Oh, Susan. Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Here, child. Take my hand." He stretched out his hand across the void; the ice cold water rushing all around him. He gripped her hand and pulled her back into the overflow pipe just as Terna clambered back over the ledge, breathing heavily.

"There, there, my dear." The Doctor situated Susan on solid ground, gripping her shoulders reassuringly. He could feel her trembling, "Here we are. No cuts? No bruises?"

"I'm fine, Grandfather." Susan reassured him, smiling slightly as the frantic thundering of her twin hearts, matching the roar of the water, began to quell.

"Good, good," the Doctor then pulled her into his chest and hugged her tightly, "Oh, thank heavens."

"I told you there was nothing to worry about," Terna declared, straightening up and dousting herself off.

Susan looked towards her before rushing over and hugging her around the waist, "Thank you, Terna; you saved my life."

Terna initially stiffened to the hug, but eventually relaxed into it; her smile widening. "Hey, don't mention it. It was nothing. I'm just glad you're safe." She hugged her back, running her fingers through her soft, black hair.

"Now, now, don't be modest," the Doctor chided playfully, "If it hadn't been for your quick thinking and reflexes, I cringe to think of where Susan would be."

Terna beamed at him. "I'm happy to help."

Behind them, the water suddenly stopped.

"They've put the plug back in again," the Doctor observed.

"Oh, at least we're safe now," Susan exclaimed.

"I only hope they don't full the sink with any more water," Terna added grimly.

"Yes, of course, it'll come in here, down the overflow pipe," Susan realized.

"Exactly."

()()()

Barbara and Ian are crouched by the pile of seeds.

"I'm getting used to these sounds," Ian observed, "I think that last one must have been the door closing."

"Are you sure they've gone?" Barbara asked uncertainly.

"I'm not sure of anything, Barbara."

"Ian…the Doctor, Terna, and Susan, they must have been drowned." Barbara's bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling, the awful notion twisting deep in the pit of her stomach.

"We don't know that for certain," Ian asserted, taking her hand and leading her back over ot the sink, "We must go and find out."

When they got to the edge of the basin, Ian began to climb down the chain. He glanced back up to see that Barbara was lingering.  
"Stay up there if you want to."

"No, I'm coming with you," the woman asserted, gripping the chain and cautiously starting down after him.

"You all right?"

"Yes."

Eventually, they touched down on the sink bed and hurried over to the open drain.  
Ian cautiously peered over the edge, down into the dark pipe.

"Anything?" Barbara asked him.

He shook his head. "No. Too dark to see. Afraid there's not much hope, Barbara."

"What are we going to do?" Barbara cried, shaking her head fratntically, "I mean, like this, what _can_ we do?"

"I said they'd be all right, Grandfather," a voice called from the depths of the drain. Startled, the two humans looked back down into the pipe in time to see Susan, the Doctor, and Terna climbing out of the drain.

"Susan!" Barbara exclaimed, rushing forward to embrace her.

"I don't believe it!" Ian cried, pleasantly shocked.

The Doctor laughed. "There you are. You see, my friends? You can't get rid of us as easy as all that."

()()()

In the study, Forrester sat at Smithers's desk, editing Farrow's report. The bespectacled man in question sat in an armchair in the corner, nervously smoking a ciagarette.

Eventually, Forrester set down his pen. "Yes, well, there we are. The report is ready."

"All right. What are you doing now?"

"The report itself isn't final enough," Forrester declared, getting to his feet, "Farrow would have telephoned his department."

"But you can't do that!" Smithers cried, "You'll give yourself away. They'll know it isn't him speaking."

Forrester simply smiled. "You leave this side of it to me."

He then crossed the room, picked up the phone, dialed it, and told the Operator to patch him through to Whitehall in London. "Thank you," he said when she agreed.

"How do you know who to speak to?" Smithers hissed frantically.

Forrester waved his aside. "I've been dealing with these people for years."

He turned his attention back to the phone when the Operator said: "Go ahead, please."

Before speaking, Forrester draped a handkerchief over the mouthpiece of the telephone.  
"Hello? Is Mr. Whitmore there, please? Arnold Farrow speaking. Yes. Oh, hello, how are you? Good. I'll hold on." He turned to Smithers, "The secretary asked me how I was. Told you it'd be all right."

However, unbeknownst to him, Hilda the Operator was listening in on the concersation.  
"Doesn't sound like Mister Farrow at all."

"The tests are very satisfactory," Forrester continued to the man on the other end, "I'm sending in the report….Yes, it is a bad line, isn't it?" He grinned, please his little ruse was being bought. "Well, I would say that DN6, as they call it, is about sixty percent improvement on normal insecticide…Yes, I know I'm not usually so enthusiastic, but this is really extraordinary…. Crossing over to France tonight, and I'll send in the report. Will you send in the authorization? Good. I'll tell Forrester. Yes. Goodbye."

He hung up.

"Well?" Smithers asked anxiously.

Forrester smiled silkily. "Perfect. As soon as they get the report, we'll get the go-ahead."

()()()

Meanwhile, the miniscule TARDIS crew were milling about on the laboratory table, using the briefcase as a kind of landmark in order to get a gist of their surroundings.  
They evnetually come upon a notepad.

"This certainly wasn't here before," Ian remarked.

Susan crouched down to examine the page on top. "Half drawing and half writing. Ian, it's a formula."

"Yes, I believe you're right, Susan."

"Do you think it's the formula for the insecticide, Doctor?" Barbara asked the Time Lord.

"Perhaps."

"Well, if it is, it'll tell us what we're fighting against," Terna declared.

"We might even find a cure," the other woman added.

"A cure? What's the good of that?" Ian asked her.

Barbara dropped her eyes. "I don't know."

"If we're going to do anything at all, we must stop it," Ian declared.

"Ian's right, Barbara," Susan added. "You only need a cure if somebody's infected. What we've got to do is stop it being produced."

"Yes, all right," Barbara replied without raising her eyes.

"Well, I think we should take a closer look at this oversized document," the Doctor announced, waving a hand over the large notepad, "The more we know about the enemy the better."

"Those things up there are definitely molecular structures," Ian deduced, pointing to the top of the page.

"Yes, you're quite right, my boy," the Doctor agreed, "I only wish I could see it more as a whole."

"Couldn't we lever it up in some way, stand back and look at it?" Barbara asked.

"Yes, it'd be like a huge advertising poster, wouldn't it?" Susan added.

Ian shook his head. "I'm afraid it's far too heavy. We'd never lift it."

Terna tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps I could make a crank of some kind with the Omni-Vice."

"Do you think you're strong enough?" the Doctor inquired of her.

"I'm stronger than most."

"Well, in that case."

Terna then went behind the notepad; she made a crank out of the Omni-Vice and set it against the notepad, slowly lifting it up. She put her weight against it, and the large ring of paper was slower raised off the table.  
Ian and Susan go to help support it, and eventually, the writing on the pad is visible.

"Good, good. Hold it there," the Doctor said to them as he pulled out his own notepad and frantically started writing.

"We can't do for much longer," Ian strained.

"Yes, yes, just a moment more," the Doctor urged, frantically scribbling away. "There! Done. Good."

"Okay, let go," Terna announced.  
They all jump back, and the notepad fell onto the table with a loud bang.

"That was close; it nearly crushed us," Susan exclaimed.

Terna nodded, slightly shaken. "I think I'm officially done with being only an inch high."

()()()

Later, the Doctor examined what he had written.  
"Yes, yes. This is the insecticide quite clearly," he declared, "It's a bit rough, of course, but it tells us the story."

Terna who'd been looking at the paper over his shoulder, pointed to a spot on the page. "I don't know much about this Doctor, but isn't that phosphoric acid?"

"Yes, and this indicates the amount of organic esters," Ian added, gesturing to another part of the formula, "And this is mineral nitrate. That's about as far as I go, I'm afraid."

"My dear boy, this formula's quite clear," the Doctor exclaimed as though it were obvious, "Look, with one vital difference. The inventor has made the insecticide everlasting."

Terna's eyes widened. "Everlasting?"

Susan gaped. "That means it would seep into the soil."

"Get into the drinking water," Ian added.

"What about human beings?" Barbara asked quietly.

"Well, given in sufficient quantity, of course, it's capable of killing human beings as well," the Doctor replied.

"Yes, if they drink and eat infected food and water," Terna added, "Or even coming in contact with it."

"Penetrating the skin to get into the blood stream."

Barbara looked horrified. "Well then why do we go on just sitting here?"

"Now, now, my dear. Gently, gently," the Doctor urged.

Barbara bit her lip. "I'm sorry." She stepped a short ways away, rubbing the side of her head.

"Barbara, are you all right?" Susan asked her.

"Yes, I feel a bit giddy," the woman replied quietly, "I think I must be hungry."

"Yes, now there's another point to consider, my dear boy," the Doctor said to Ian, "Eating. We can't, even if we do find food here."

"Yes, well, the less we talk about food the more I'll like it," Ian replied, looking slightly queasy.

"Agreed, but that just increases our sense of urgency," Terna declared, "We need to get back to normal size as quickly as possible, otherwise we could starve."

The Doctor nodded in agreement. "At least we might be able to drink; the water in the tap is quite safe."

"Well, no need for all of us to go," Ian announced. "I'll go and fetch some."

"Ah, but I want to go into that direction," the Doctor interjected, "You see, there's something over there that might be the solution to all this business."

"What's that?" Barbara asked him.

"A telephone, my dear."

"Oh. Come on, then, let's all go," Ian declared.

They make their way over to the phone; it's an enormous black bakelite thing with a proper dial and handset and wires out the back of it into the wall.

Ian survey it. "Hmm, it's climbable."

"Yeah, I can scale that no problem," Terna agreed, "I'm glad I decided to wear pants today."

"The thing is, my dear, how heavy is that receiver?" the Doctor added.

"Grandfather, I think I've got just the thing. Look," Susan called to him, holding up a test tube cork, which was the size of a trash can in her tiny arms, "We can push this underneath the receiver."

"Yes, there are lots more over there," Barbara added, pausing to put her head in her hands.

"Hey, you all right?" Ian asked her.

"Yes, I'm fine. I told you, I haven't eaten for ages. I think that's what it must be. Don't make a fuss.

Ian nodded to her before turning to the others. "Well, Susan, you, Terna, and I'll do the climbing, eh?"

"Yes, all right," the young Time Lady replied.

Terna then picked up the cork and handed it to the Doctor.

"Here, pass this up to Susan, and she can then pass it on up to me."

"Very well."

"Right, I'll give you a boost," Ian added.

The Lyall nodded as Ian interlocked his fingers into a basket, and she placed her boot into his palms, pushing herself up and onto the phone.

"Can you manage all right?" Susan asked her.

"Yes, I can make it."

"Oh, er, oh, Barbara, would you mind bringing another one of these, please?" the Doctor asked.

She obliged, and he lifted a cork up to Susan.  
"Got it?"

Barbara brought him another cork.

"Ah, thank you, my dear." The Doctor paused, examing her thoughtfully, "You look very tired."

"Yes, I am a bit," the human woman admitted.

"Well, we can manage. You just sit down and rest for a while, hmm?"

Barbara nodded and moved away as the Doctor passed the second cork up the back of the telephone.

Terna, who had managed to get the first three corks next to the receiver, called down from her perch on top of the device.  
"You'd better all come up now."

"Coming," Ian called back, climbing up behind her

He then tried lifting the handset with his shoulders, but couldn't move it.

"You think that we four can manage, eh?" the Doctor called up to them.

"Why?" Ian asked.

"Well, I don't think Barbara's quite up to it."

'Oh, all right. Well, we can try."

"It's all right," Barbar interjected, coming back over. "I'm here."

"Ah, good. Now, listen. Susan, we're going to try and lift this end," Ian added to the young Time Lady, "Now you, when we get it lifted up, push that cork underneath."

"All right."

"Now, you ready, Doctor?

"Yes, yes."

"Barbara? Terna?"

"Yes."

"Ready when you are."

"Right. Now, lift!"

Terna, Ian, the Doctor, and Barbara all grab hold of the handset and lift it over their heads.

"Quickly," the Doctor urged.

Susan slid the cork under the phone.  
"Ok, got it."

"Alright, we'll try the other end now. Here we are. Same thing, Susan."

"Right."

"Ready now? Lift!"

They repeated the process with Susan jamming the last cork under the receiver, securely propping it up.

"Right. Oh, we did it," Susan exclaimed in relief.

()()()

Meanwhile, the local switchboard buzzed.

Bert, the policeman husband of Hilda of the operator. "Hilda, come and answer this thing. It's driving me mad."

Hilda scrambled over to the switchboard. "The old farmhouse again. Hello? What number do you want?" she asked into the receiver.

()()()

At the telephone handset, the Doctor, Terna, Ian and Susna shout into the speaking end.

"Can! You! Hear! Us!"

Barbara was listening at the other end, but only hearing a deep growl.

"Put! Us! Through! To! Police!"

"Any luck?" Ian added to her.

She shook her head. "No. No, nothing at all."

Ian snarled in frustration, kicking the side of the mouthpiece "We can't have failed after trying so hard."

"Yes, I'm afraid we have," the Doctor replied grimly, "And it's my fault. I thought it was worth trying."

"It's not that big of a deal," Terna assured him.

"No, on the contrary, it was precious time wasted."

"Well, we must try again," Ian insisted.

"Oh, Ian, I don't think it'll do any good," Susan replied glumly.

"Well we must try," Ian declared, "I'll go and tell Barbara." He then clambered over to the other side of the phone where he found Barbara slumped against the receiver. "Hey, you've been overdoing things," he said to her, crouching down beside her and rubbing her back soothingly.

She perked up somewhat, looking up at him with bleary eyes. "Yes, yes, I think I have."

"I'll go and get you some water. It'll freshen you up, okay?"

"Thank you."

He then reached for the handkerchief he'd given Barbara sticking out of her blazar.

"What are you doing?" Barbara cried.

"I want your handkerchief," Ian replied, slightly startled, "I'll soak it in"

"No!" Barbara snatched the handkerchief out of his reach.

"What's the matter?"

"You can't have it. You mustn't touch it." Barbara's voice broke as she scrambled back; she seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"Barbara?"

"N-No one must touch," she stammered, tears pooling in her eyes as she suddenly pitched forwad and passed out.

"Barbara!" Susan rushed over with the other two close behind.

The Doctor paused before the woman's dropped handkerchief and gingerly picked it up with his pen.  
"There. The same aroma: insecticide. You didn't eat or drink anything?" he added to Ian.

"No, certainly not."

"She's got insecticide on her hands," the Doctor deduced, "She touched it."

Ian's eyes widened in horror. "Well, she never told me. I never saw her do this" he exclaimed, but suddenly faltered, realization dawning on him. I. She did borrow my handkerchief."

"Where were you then?"

'By that pile of seeds."

"Yes, you see? She got it on her hands," Terna surmised, "She rubbed it off on your handkerchief."

"Oh, why didn't she tell us?" Susan cried.

"You can help her, can't you, Doctor?" Ian demanded.

"Yes, Grandfather, we can do something, can't we?" Susan added.

Before the Time Lord could respond, Barbara's eyes suddenly fluttered open.  
"What happened? Did I…?"

"You fainted, that's all," Susan said to her.

"The insecticide. Is that why I feel like this?"

"Yes. You've got some of it on your hands, and you didn't tell us anything about it," the Doctor explained, "It was very wrong of you, wasn't it?"

Barbara squeezed her eye shut, shaking her head as she tried to quell her panic. "Am I…Am I?"

"No, no, no, no, this little attack you've experienced is only temporary," the Doctor assured her.

Susan placed a hand on her shoulder. "Take it easy. Come on, take it easy."

While the young girl tended to Barbara, Ian, Terna and the Doctor went off to the side.

"What can we do for her?" Ian demanded.

"Well, it's urgent that we get her back to her normal size," the Doctor replied, "At the moment, her protective cells are too small to cope with the molecules of poison in her bloodstream. But if we can, that dosage of insecticide will be seventy time less dangerous. Practically nothing at all."

Ian nodded hesitantly. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, oh, quite sure. We must get her back to the ship."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Terna insisted.

They then go back over to where Susan was waiting with Barbara, who seemed to have calmed down.

"How are you feeling?" Ian asked her.

"Oh, a bit ropey. Could do with a glass of water."

"We're going to take you back to the ship."

"All right. Just give me a minute."

Ian nodded as he crouched down and gently helped Barbara to her feet, encouraging her to put her weight on him. "Come on, Barbara. Got a long way to go. You can get us back to normal size, can you?" he added to the Doctor.

"Oh, yes, of course I can, dear boy. Yes. Of course I can." He dropped his eyes, his voice lowerd, "I hope."

However, the tiny TARDIS crew's plan to return to the TARDIS were swiftly halted when Barbara declared she refused to leave under the pretense that the insectide was still a threat.

"Barbara, you're ill," Ian exclaimed. "We need to get you back to the ship. You could die. Doctor, make her see some sense."

He shook his head. "There's nothing I can say, dear boy. Barbara's quite right."

Ian still looked unconvinced. Barbar placed a hand on his shoulder, griping it firmly.

"Ian, we must find a way to stop them. We must."

()()()

In the other room, Forrester couldn't make a call from the study telephone.  
"What the devil's wrong with this phone? Any other phones around here?" he added to Smithers.

"Oh, yes, there's one in the lab next to the sink."

"Maybe that's where the trouble is," Forrester mused, "Perhaps the phone's off the hook or something."

Smitheres nodded. "Yes. I'll go and see. I want to have a look at Farrow's notes."

Forrester paused, eye him curiously. "Why?"

Smithers doesn't respond, just hurriedly leaves the room. Forrester watched him go before slowly reaching for his pistol and checking it still has a bullet in it.

()()()

Meanwhile, in the lab, the Doctor and the others had come up with a plan  
"Yes, that's it. We'll cause trouble. Start a fire, my boy."

"Can we start a big enough one to do any real damage?"

"Well, we can try, anyway. There's nothing like a good fire, is there?" Terna replied with a grin.

"What do you think, Barbara?" Susan asked her.

"I think it's a good idea. If we could manage to start a fire, it would certainly attract people here."

"Yes! They'd find that man's body," Susan agreed.

Ian nodded. "That's true."

The Doctor then directed Ian, Terna, and Susan over to the gas tap for the Bunsen burner.

"What now?" Susan asked the human man.

"If we could only turn it on."

"Then what?"

Before Ian can respond, there's a rumble as the door opened.

"Look out!" Terna grabbed Susan's hand and bolted for cover.

"Quick! Behind this water tank," Ian called.

()()()

Forrester stared at the corcks wedged under the handpiece, bewilder.  
"Who put these under the phone?

Smithers suddenly walked into the room; his face is ghostly pale and he holds his hands out in front of him as though he's trying to keep them as far away from him as possible. There's dirt under his nails, a sign he'd been digging, but they're also sticky with a familiar aroma.  
"DN6. It's DN6."

"Come on, I want an explanation," Forrester snapped, ignoring the other man's stricken state, "Why did you put these under the phone to stop me using it?"

"Oh, that's not important now," Smithers replied, distracted as he frantically tried to wipe the sticky insecticide off his hands.

"Of course it's important," Forrester insisted.

"Will you listen to me?"

However, at that moment, the phone rang.

()()()

Hilda leaned close to the listening device on the operator switchboard.  
"Oh, you've replaced your receiver now, have you, Mister Smithers?" she asked when someone picked up.

"This isn't Mister Smithers," he replied, "The extension was left off. I'm sorry."

Hilda cocked her head to the side, "Is that Mister Farrow?"

"Farrow? No."

"Oh, the other gentleman. I see. I've a call for Mister Farrow."

"Oh, uh, just a minute."

Behind her, Hilda's husband Bert leaned cautiously over her shoulder, intently listening.  
"Do you think you ought to be doing this, Hilda?"

"Shh! Listen."

"Farrow here. Who is this?" a slightly muffled, staticky voice asked after a moment.

"You see?" Hilda whispered to Bert, "It's the same man."

The policeman narrowed his eyes, suspicious, "Get him to talk a bit more."

"Mister Farrow, I've got a London call for you," Hilda said into the mouthpiece, "Will you accept the charges?"

"London? Oh, uh, yes, uh, all right," the muffled voice replied.

"Hold on, please," Hilda covered the mouth piece and turned to Bert, expectant.

"Hmm, yes, they do sound alike, I must say that. Perhaps I had better go up there."

Hilda nodded, triumphant before turning back to the phone.  
"Hello? Mr. Farrow?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry, the number has broken the connection. Perhaps they'll call again."

"Oh, uh, very well. Thank you." This was followed by the click of the phone being hung up.

"Bert, it's the same man. No doubt about it."

"Well, we'll soon find out," Bert replied as he put on his police helmet.

()()()

In the laboratory, the Doctor and Susan were working to try and get the gas tap on.

"Oh, I think it's moving a bit," Susan cried as they all strained against the lever.

"Come on, all together," the Doctor urged.

Barbara added her weight to the end of the lever, and it finally began to move.

"It's coming!" the Doctor exclaimed, grinning at their success.

Susan then broke away from the gas tap and hurried over to where Ian and Terna were messing with the matchbox.

As she approached, Ian was wrestling with a caber-sized match.  
"Ian, the tap's ready to turn on now."

"Good. Now, Terna, I've wedged the matchbox against a knothole. What we're going to do is run at the side of it."

The Lyall Queen grinned. "Like using a battering ram."

"That's the idea. Come on, get hold of it. Right."

"Yes, I think we've got the gas jet in about the right angle," the Doctor declared

"Yes, but all we'll succeed in doing is just melting this tin," Barbara replied.

"Oh, no, no, I've had a good look at this," the Doctor replied, gesturing to the large can they'd lined up in the path of the gas, "This is pressurized. It's a spray can. Our problem will be to get away far enough when it explodes."

Barbara's eyes widened. "Explodes?"

"Oh, yes, it's going to explode and when it does it'll go off just like, well, to us a thousand pound bomb."

"Well, it does say Highly Flammable on the side," Terna called to them.

()()()

Smithers grabbed hold of Forrester, wrenching the phone from his grip.  
"It's killed everything. Everything!"

"Smithers," Forrester urged, his tone dangerous.

()()()

Ian and Terna try to strike the match, running at the side of the box, but they miss and were nearly sent sprawling

"No, no, no," the Doctor chided, "Both of you, try hitting the box at a sharper angle. More force, more vim, hmm?"

"Doctor, have you ever tried to lift one of these things?" Terna called back through gritted teeth as she and Ian backed up to try again.

"Come on, Terna. Let's do it this time," Ian urged her, "Charge!"

They run again, this time striking the box just right, and the match flarec to life.

"Come on, let's light the gas jet," the Doctor said to Barbar, "Turn it on."

Ian and Terna staggered about, trying to keep their hold on the flaming match. The roar of the fire and the heat of it against their faces was nearly overwhelming. Terna squeezed her eyes shut, painfully reminded of when she'd nearly been burned alive in the Dalek furnace on Skaro.

"Turn the gas down a bit," Ian called to the others, "You don't want us burned alive. Doctor, Barbara, take Susan and get behind that tap."

They obliged; the Doctor grabbing his granddaughter's hand, and they all take cover.

"Ready, Terna?" Ian asked.

"As I'll ever be."

They rushed forward, and they light the gas.

()()()

"And then he told me he couldn't authorize DN6," Forrester calmly explained to a frantic Smithers, "I had too much money sunk into it. I had to kill him. Once I'd started I had to see it through." He smiled slightly, "All the way."

()()()

"Shan't be long now," the Doctor said to Barbara and Susan as the fire caught with the gas.

At that moment, Terna and Ian raced towards them.  
"Take as much cover as you can," the Lyall cried, waving her hands frantically, "When that tin explodes, there'll be metal flying all over the place."

"It'll be just like that air raid, Grandfather. Do you remember?" Susan whispered, gripping the Doctor's arm.

"Yes, very well, and what infernal machines those Zeppelins were."

()()()

"Forrester, think what you're doing," Smithers pleaded, "DN6 is more deadly than radiation! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

Forrester's expression remained unchanged. "Get the briefcase."

Smithers opened his mouth to protest, but his poised words are swallowed by the loud bang of a insecticide can being blown apart ripped through the laboratory.

Shrapnel flew everywhere, and Forrester staggered back, blinded. His pistol fell to the floor, Smithers made a dive ofr it, but a second hand snatched it away from him.

The small man glanced up to see Bert the policeman towering over him.

()()()

The Doctor and the others slowly began to pick themselves up, having all been knocked off their feet by the force of the explosion they'd created.

"It's worked! It's worked!" the Doctor cried gleefully jumping up and down, "Come on, all of you. Back to the ship. Susan, take care of Barbara. Quickly, quickly."

The young Time Lady nodded, helping Barbara along who was beginning to grow weak at the knees.

As everyone struggled to regain their bearings, they scrambled to their feet, Susan helping a semi-conscious Barbara along as they made their way towards the sink.

The Doctor hung back for a moment, picking up one of the wheat seeds off the pile whit his cloak.

"Doctor, what are you doing?" Ian asked him, "That thing's covered with poison."

"Yes, I know it is."

"Well, what do you want it for?"

"You'll be surprised. Go on."

"Let's go, Ian," Terna urged him, taking his hand and pulling him towards the sink.

()()()

As Smithers cowered in the corner, Bert stooped down to examine the unconscious Forrester.  
"He'll live. Now I have some questions that need answering," he said to Smithers, "And turn that gas off. You'll kill the lot of us."

()()()

The Doctor raced around the console, frantically pushing and pulling buttons and levers of the TARDIS controls.  
"Got to repeat exactly the things that happened to us when we landed," he whispered through gritted teeth, "Now, Terna, hold this down." He took her hand again and placed it on the same lever she'd been holding down before.

"Is there anything I can do?" Ian offered.

"Yes. That seed over there, by the chair," the Doctor gestured to it, "Take it over to that table so that we can all see it. Wrap that round it when you do it."

Ian does so, just as the whoosh of demetarliazation echoed throughout the ship.

Terna winced, her grip slackening somewhat.  
"Doctor. Doctor, I- ." she started through clenched teeth, but the Doctor held up a hand to silence her.

"Shh. I think its working. Yes. Ha ha! I think its working, my dear."

"Doctor! Look at that seed," Ian exclaimed, pointing to it just as the wheat begins to grow smaller and smaller.

"Yes! Yes! We've done it! Yes! We've done it!" the Doctor clapped his hands, grinning from ear to ear as they watched the seed continue to shrink.

"Doctor, it's incredible," Ian cried, "That seed, it's completely vanished."

"No, no, my dear boy. No. Look, you see? It hasn't vanished at all, and it hasn't shrunk."

"We've simply grown," Terna replied with a grim smile.

The Doctor looked to her, startled. "My dear, are you alright. You look to be in pain."

Terna nodded. "I'm fine. It's just the switch."

The Doctor looked down to see the lever he'd asked her to hold was smoking slightly.  
"Oh! Let go. Let go at once!"

The Lyall gratefully obliged, pulling her hand back and shaking it out at the wrist, trying to numb the pain.

"Here. Let me see," the Doctor urged, taking her hand and examining it closely. He tenderly traced his finger across the pale scars lining her wrists from when she'd been burned before, "Slightly blistered," he murmured distractedly.

"I'm fine. It's nothing too serious," Terna assured him.

"I appreciate your vigor," the Doctor commended, "Holding on even when it harmed you."

Terna smirked. "You're welcome."

"Barbara?" Susan's voice directed their attention over to where Barbara had been settled in a chair.

She opened her eyes; her skin no longer pale as she looked around, confused.  
"Hmm, I'm so thirsty."

"Here you are. Drink that," the young girl handed her a glass.

Barbara took it and drank deeply. "Oh, I'd no idea water could taste so good."

Ian laughed at this, going over to hug her, relieved she hadn't succumbed to the poison.

"Well, well, here we are then," the Doctor smiled as he walked over to them, "The patient is beginning to look her usual self again."

"Thank you, Doctor," Ian said to him.

"Not at all, my dear boy. Always at your service."

"You're in an awfully chipper mood," Terna observed.

"Of course I am. Do you not realize the feat I just performed?"

"Doctor, what happened in the laboratory?" Barbara inquired, "I don't remember much after the explosion."

"Well, I'm happy to say our plan worked," the Doctor explained, "We didn't have to set fire the laboratory, but we did attract attention. Do you know, a policeman came into that room just as I was about to climb down that pipe?"

Barbara smiled, relieved. "Oh, good. Now, what about us? Can you get us back to normal?"

The Doctor grinned. "There's your answer, my dear."

He held up the tiny grain of wheat.

Susan gaped. "Grandfather, is that the seed you brought in with you?"

"The same seed."

"Then we are back to normal!" Barbara exclaimed.

"Completely, my dear. Now, before I get up and see where we are, I suggest you all go and have a good scrub, hmm? Off you go."

Ian helped Barbara get to her feet; she was unsteady at first, but was eventually able to move on her own, although she still kept hold of Ian's hand. The two humans headed out of the Console Room with Susan close behind.

Terna was about to follow, but the Doctor called to her.  
"Terna, a moment."

Terna smiled reassuredly, "Doctor, I already told you. My hands are fine."

"Oh, no it's not about that," the Doctor asserted moving around the console towards her, "I don't believe I ever got a chance to thank you for saving my granddaughter when we were in the pipe. If you had not been there, she may very well have perished."

"Don't mention it."

The Doctor smiled as he looked at her. Terna, with her golden hair all messed up, grime under her nails, and rust staining her pants.  
"I must say, Terna. I do believe you have become quite invaluable to me. It will be rather unfortunate when you are finally able to leave us. Susan seems to have grown quite fond of you."

Terna stared at him, floored. "Thank you," she eventually whispered.

The Doctor nodded with a smile before turning back to the controls and switching on the scanner; however, he's met with just a mass of interference lines.

"Oh, dear, dear, Now that is irritating. I had thought the TARDIS had repaired that wretched thing and now look at it, I can't see a thing. "

"Do you have any clue where we are?" Terna asked him.

"I haven't the faintest idea."

* * *

A/N: Next Week: Dalek Invasion of the Earth.  
I've been looking forward to the next chapter for a long time; not only is it one of my favorite stories of the First Doctor era, but I have a lot of really great moments planned for it, not only do we have more of the Doctor and Terna working together (and they're becoming quite the team, aren't they?) we also find out a little more about Terna's past, including the identity of 'Rangi' a person she's mentioned a few times before. Also, this serial is noteworthy for being the first companion goodbye with Susan leaving the TARDIS, and considering how well Terna gets along with Susan, it will surely be a heart-wrenching farewell, as well as leading to something that will impact the rest of Terna's journey as she continues to travel with the Doctor.  
Stay tuned and be sure to leave a review on your way out :)


	16. The Dalek Invasion of Earth

Chapter 16: The Dalek Invasion of Earth

* * *

I stood in the middle of my bedroom under the TARDIS Console Room, trying to determine what to wear.  
I'd decided to go with pants again, if my previous experiences had taught me anything, and eventually selected a blue, one-piece jumpsuit, a pair of brown, lace-up boots and a long, black leather coat with grey fingerless gloves.  
I glanced momentarily up at the ceiling as I twisted my long, blonde hair into a braided bun similar to the way I'd worn it during my early days in the TARDIS; the Doctor was still fiddling with the controls that had been damaged when the time machine had shrunk. When I'd left him to change, he'd seemed very worried, which wasn't good news for any of us.

My sense of unnerving diminished somewhat when I picked up one of the large white pearls Susan had given me to wear in my hair. I smiled fondly as I began twisting the glimmering stones into the tightly pulled strands.  
She really was a sweet girl, wise beyond her years and oddly someone I could confide in despite the drastic differences in our age and species. It was bizarre, really, that I'd managed to find companionship in Susan or even the Doctor, quite frankly.  
Befriending Time Lords was something I'd thought I'd never do after those long, excruciating months being experimented on by them while at Renaissance, if my behavior upon first entering the Time-Space ship was any indication of my feelings.

I couldn't help but let my eyes wander to the black numbers inked into my forearm just barely visible under my coat sleeve.  
I shivered.

But that was behind us now, now back to the matter at hand. I completed my outfit with the silver and blue infinity symbol ring that was the symbol of my royalty which I'd deemed lost until locating it on Skaro.  
Finished getting changed, I climbed the stairs and opened the trap door that lead back up into the clear, white Console Room.

The Doctor was fumbling with a series of levers on the other side of the control panel and did not take any initial notice of my entering. As I climbed into the room, he flicked the switch that controlled the scanner again; the screen lit up with a flurry of static, but amidst the flickering light, I caught a glimpse of some kind of grey shape.

"That's a partial picture," I remarked, tilting my head to the side as I tried to see it more clearly.

"The best I can do at the moment," the Doctor replied, still not looking up.

I looked around the spacious white room, unsure of what to do. I knew that I couldn't help the Doctor repair the machine with my limited knowledge of technology; although, he had confirmed the ship had landed in a new location, which left my mind wandering off to all the possible places that could be.

The Doctor didn't want to venture out until the scanner was working properly again.  
Who knew what was outside?

A sudden high-pitched shriek jerked me from my thoughts. I whipped my head towards the door, eyes wide in alarm. The sound had come from outside.

"Did you just hear someone scream?" I asked the Doctor.

He didn't respond; he was too busy trying the scanner again; it still came up all fuzzy.

"It's not clear. It's not clear at all. What has gone wrong?" he exclaimed in frustration. He paused, looking up at me as though suddenly recalling I was in the room, "Oh, did you say something?

I rolled my eyes, "Forget it.

At that moment, Ian, Barbara, and Susan entered; all of whom had also cleaned up and changed.  
"Well, Doctor, where are we now, then?" the former inquired.

"Somewhere nice and quiet, I hope," Barbara added.

Susan grinned. "Oh, yes. Let's have a holiday."

"Take a look for yourselves," the Doctor replied grimly, switching on the scanner again.

"I can't see anything," Barbara stated the obvious.

"Yes, the scanner is still malfunctioning," the Doctor explained, "However, I can just make out what looks like moving water to me. It might be a river somewhere; I don't know. What's the reading, Susan?"

"Radiation nil, oxygen normal, pressure normal," Susan replied, reading off the systems on the console. Her eyes widened as something seemed to dawn on her, "Grandfather, it's an _Earth _reading."

The Doctor smiled at this, "Well, I don't want to boast, but we might be somewhere in London, hmm?"

Ian grinned. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go and have a look."

"Come on, open the doors," Barbara added eagerly, and the Doctor quickly obliged.

The TARDIS doors swung open, and we all stepped out into the bright, grey sunlight of late afternoon. The TARDIS had landed under a bridge along the bank of a broad river. The dark, soapy water lapped against the cobblestone shores lined with dozens of stone buildings that stretched off into the horizon, forming a city.  
London; it was London.

Ian's smiled broadened as he drank in the sight. "Barbara, we made it. We're here!"

The Doctor nodded in agreement, visibly pleased with himself, "Well, there we are. Back home: your planet."

"You brought us the long way round, Doctor," Ian agreed, still beaming as he drank in the familiar scene.

"More by good luck than judgment," I remarked, kicking at a worn piece of plywood lying in the mud, "What a horrible mess."

"Are we down by the docks?" Barbara questioned, examining more pieces of wood lying under the bridge.

Ian cupped his hands around his mouth to magnify his voice, "Hello! Pretty deserted," he added, "Probably Sunday."

The Doctor nodded in agreement; his brow furrowed as he scanned the line of buildings along the opposite bank. I followed his gaze; they were rather far away, so I couldn't be certain, but they looked somewhat decrepit. The stones were worn and moss-covered, crumbling with withered and under-kept foundations that were crushed under the weight of disrepair.  
That was distressing.  
"It's uncanny," the Doctor said quietly, "Wonder which era we've landed in."

"What was that, Doctor?" Ian asked him.

"Oh, I'm just wondering about the time factor, my boy."

Ian shrugged, "A year or two either way doesn't make much difference to us, you know?"

"Well I hope for both your sakes we're near your time, but bear in mind we might have landed in the early 1900s or the 25th century."

"Well, it's still London, anyway," Barbara added.

"Susan, what are you doing?" I asked, cutting off their conversation when I looked over my shoulder and caught sight of the young girl scrambling up the side of the bridge behind the TARDIS.

"I'm just having a look," she called back, "Can't see much down there, can you?"

"Yes, that's the word I was looking for: decay," the Doctor piped up, "It's most odd, most odd."

"Doctor, what's worrying you?" Barbara asked.

"Well, you take this bridge, now," the Doctor gestured to the structure Susan was clinging too,  
"It isn't an easy task, is it? Look at all this neglect all over the place. It's been abandoned, all of it."

There were a lot of random objects lying around: pieces of stone, planks of wood, withered and weather beaten materials half-buried in the black mud along the grimy banks.

"There's always a mess with construction work, Doctor," Ian reminded him.

"Perhaps, perhaps." The Doctor didn't sound convinced. I was starting to feel uneasy again.

"Oh, come on, Doctor. Stop spoiling everything," Barbara exclaimed.

The Doctor looked at her, giving her an apologetic smile, "Oh my dear, now believe me, I wouldn't spoil your homecoming for all the world."

Meanwhile, Susan had managed to climb to the top of the wall. "Still can't see much. There's not a sign of any people anywhere."

"Be careful, my child," her grandfather urged her.

No sooner had he said this that Susan lost her grip on the bridge and fell to the ground with a cry, landing hard in the mud.

"Susan!" I rushed over to her, dropping down beside her as she sat up, gripping her leg.

"I'm alright, Terna; I'm alright."

"You're always dashing about, aren't you?" the Doctor scoffed as he and the other two came over to see if she was alright, "You're far too curious."

"Is anything broken?" I asked her.

"My ankle. I think it's sprained," Susan replied, wincing in pain as she gripped her foot tighter.

"You're lucky it wasn't any worse," Ian declared.

A loud creak from behind made us all whirl around in alarm.  
"Look out! This whole thing's going to go," I cried, pulling Susan out of harm's way as a whole pile of debris that had been pulled down along the bridge gave way and crashed onto the TARDIS.

Dirt and dust billowed up from the piles of wood and metal planks that settled quite heavily on top of the blue box.

"The ship, Chesterton. The ship!" the Doctor cried, just as Ian started forward, "Don't go too near, my boy, it's not safe."

"The whole bridge has collapsed."

I stood behind them, holding Susan as we watched the dust settle. "Yeah, right on top of the TARDIS. Talk about rotten luck."

Once he was certain nothing else would fall, Ian strode over to inspect the damage.  
"We're going to need help to shift this."

"Yes, it's going to be very difficult," the Doctor mused, grabbing his chin thoughtfully, "But remember, we're in London."

"What's that got to do with it?" I inquired.

"Well, the people, they'll all be curious. They'll want to know why we're trying to break into a police box."

"If they don't ask what a police box is doing under a bridge in the first place," Ian added.

"Exactly."

Ian then continued to pace around the debris covering the TARDIS. He inspected a loose plank thoughtfully. "You know, it's primarily this girder. What I need is an acetylene torch."

"Oh, my dear boy, you can't just whisk up men and material out of the thin air now, can you, hmm?"

"I could try," I offered, "But what exactly is an acetylene torch?

"It's one of those devices you use to weld metal," Ian explained.

I smiled. "Oh, yes; I know what you're talking about. Just a sec," I reached into the pocket of my coat, and my heart skipped a beat as my finger grasped nothing but air.

"What?" Ian asked when he saw my resulting look of horror.

"My Omni-Vice…" I said quietly, "It's in the TARDIS."

I could have kicked myself; how could I have forgotten to put my trusty Claw into my coat pocket upon changing. I should have remembered how awful the experience of being separated from it in France had been and clung to it extra tightly as a result.

"Oh, well that doesn't help us," the Doctor exclaimed, "And just at the point we really needed it."

Despite the frustration broiling in me, I knew that it was too late now, and we needed to try and find another solution.

"Hey, there's a warehouse over there, Doctor," Ian said, pointing a ways down the river, "We might be able to find a crowbar or something."

The Doctor and I both looked in the direction he'd indicated to see a crumbling establishment of worn, grey brick with the dilapidated remains of smoke towers leaning heavily against it.

The Doctor shook his head.  
"You know, my dear boy, I never fail to be impressed by your optimism. You can't move that by sheer brute force. You were right: we need a cutting flame."

"I know one thing for sure, Doctor," Ian asserted, "We'd better make certain we can get back into the ship before we start looking around, just in case there's trouble."

There's _always _trouble.

The Doctor looked unnerved as well. "It's intelligent; that's good. But, you know, young man, I have a feeling, or call it intuition if you like, I don't believe we're anywhere near your time: the 1960's."

Ian grimaced, "I hope it is only an intuition, Doctor."

"Yes, well, ask yourself. Here we are, standing by the Thames, and we've been here quite a while, how long? Quarter of an hour, twenty minutes?"

"Easily, but what about it?"

"Well, what have we heard? Nothing. Precisely nothing. No birdsong, no voices, no sound of shipping, not even the chimes of old Big Ben. It's uncanny. Uncanny."

I glanced up, noting my intrusion on their conversation, but realizing that the Doctor was right; there wasn't a sound anywhere in the city. It was like a library or more like a cemetery.

Uncanny? It was creepy.

"I'm lucky, aren't I?" Susan's words to Barbara, who was tending to her ankle, drew me from my thoughts.

"There are no bones broken, anyway," the woman agreed.

"Thank goodness," Susan said just as the Doctor and Ian came back over to us, "I'm sorry about what happened, Grandfather."

The Doctor crossed his arms. "Oh, so you're sitting up and taking notice again, are you?" he asked sharply.

His granddaughter wilted, "Don't be angry with me; there's no real harm done, was there? I just twisted my ankle."

"No, no harm done, child," the Doctor replied sarcastically, "Do you realize now we can't get into the ship? Not with all this rubble in the way." He gestured wildly behind him to the buried police box.

"I didn't pull the bridge down on _purpose_," Susan insisted. I put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"The Doctor and I are going to have a look in that warehouse over there," Ian said to Barbara.

"I'll go with you," I declared, getting to my feet.

"Well, can't we all go?" Barbara inquired.

"How's your ankle, Susan?" I asked her.

"I'll try it." The young Time Lady attempted to get to her feet, but cried out sharply when she tried to put weight on her injured foot. "It's no good; it's awfully swollen."

"Well, that settles it then," Ian declared, "You need to stay here."

"We'll be as quick as we can," I added, smiling reassuringly, "Stay here with Barbara; you need to bathe that ankle. "

The Doctor grunted. "What she _needs_ is a jolly good smacked bottom! Come on." He gestured to Ian and me, and we hurried after him as he headed down the bank towards the warehouse.

()()()

The walk took longer than it probably should have due to the large amounts of debris we had to climb over.  
Once we reached the warehouse, it became clear it was deserted; the building was halfway falling down: the breaks crumbling into dust in the yard besides rusted construction vehicles. The chains of cranes creaked eerily in the breeze.

Putting our disturbed first impressions aside, the Doctor, Ian and I began to climb the iron fire escape.

"Let's take a snoop," the Doctor called to Ian and me.

"Careful, Doctor," the former urged him as the rusted staircase creaked loudly.

"I'm not a half-wit," the Doctor retorted, gripping the railing a little tighter.

"Could have fooled me," I said under my breath.

The Doctor shot me a glare over his shoulder before forcing open a door, which was nearly falling off its hinges.

It deposited us into the room in a shower of sawdust.

I coughed heavily, feeling my throat start to scratch.

God, I hate old places. So much dust.

I sneezed heavily as Ian cupped two hands around his mouth and called out.

"Hello, there!"

Nobody responded but his echo. I guessed that's to be expected.

"Terna, Chesterton, come here," the Doctor called to us from where he's trying to force open a tool chest. Ian goes over to help him, and they eventually manage to get a drawer open.

"Empty," he said dejectedly.

"No surprise there," I remarked, "I don't think this place has been used in years."

Ian goes over to a cracked and dusty window, squinting through the grime to see outside, "Hey that factory over there's lost two chimneys."

"What's that monstrosity out there?" the Doctor asked from behind him.

"It's Battersea Power Station. I wonder what's happened to those two chimneys."

"What's happened to London, dear boy, is more to the point."

"They must have gone over to nuclear power."

Meanwhile, I'd started going through a desk cabinet in the corner. The first few drawers were all empty, but I eventually found something of interest.

"Doctor, come here."

"What's this, then?"

I handed him a faded, yellowed calendar.

"Ah, here, look. At least we know the century." He showed the front page to Ian, who's eyes widened.

"2164."

An abrupt popping noise sounded off somewhere in the distance, making Ian and me jump and glance about wildly.

The Doctor, meanwhile, seemed not to have heard it as he continued to look through the desk.

"There's so much rubbish. It's a jungle in here."

As he rifled through a pile of coffee-stained paper, his elbow bumped a large cardboard box. It tipped over, and something heavy fell to the floor. It was a body.

The Doctor jumped back in alarm. "Whoa!"

"Stay back." I instinctively reached for my Omni-Vice then remembered I didn't have it, so I grabbed a pipe from a nearby counter instead.

Ian held up a hand. "Hold on. I think he's dead." He crouched down beside the other man, who was lying very still, and checked his pulse. "Yeah, stiff as a board."

I take a step closer to the now confirmed dead body; it's a man of about middle age, he's wearing a blue jumpsuit like a mechanic, but the most striking element was a bulky piece of silver headgear strapped around his forehead.  
"What is that thing on his head?"

"It looks like some sort of adornment," the Doctor replied, "But what for?"

"Do you think it could be some sort of medical aid?" Ian offered, "You know, if he'd fractured his skull, something to knit the bones together?"

"No, I think there's something more to it than that," the Doctor replied, kneeling down beside him to inspect the helmet further, "You know, I think that this is an extra ear, ideal for picking up high-frequency radio waves."

"Would you stop worrying about the stupid hat?" I cut in. "Need I remind you that that is a _dead _body, and I don't think he just keeled over of his own volition." I then reached down and grabbed the corpse around the middle; rolling it onto its back, a gleam of silver caught all our eyes.  
There was a large knife embedded deep into the man's abdomen.

The Doctor's eyes widened. "He was murdered!"

"And recently too, by the looks of it," I added grimly.

There was a sudden loud creak directly above us, almost akin to something or some_one _moving about on the second floor. We all raised our eyes to the ceiling before exchanging alarmed glances.

The Doctor silently pressed a finger to his lips and then pointed at the ceiling. Ian and I nodded in understanding as we all left the corpse and cautiously made our way towards the stairs. We crept up to the second floor to find a locked door awaiting us. Ian kicked it down, and it fell into the middle of the room with a satisfying crash and another cloud of dust.

I sneezed as Ian scanned the dim room.

"Storeroom," he declared, "That noise came from over here."

He strode across the room towards a second door and kicked this one in too; it fell out of sight, but there was no sound of it hitting the floor. Ian took a step without looking; I'd made that mistake once.

"Ian!"

The human man gave a shout as his foot came down on nothing, and he fell out into the open air. The Doctor and I rushed forward just as he managed to grasp the doorframe to stop himself.

We quickly grabbed hold of both his arms and pulled him back up and into the warehouse. Ian fell onto his hands and knees before us, breathing heavily as he struggled to regain his bearings.

"Right, dear boy, come on," the Doctor urged, helping him to his feet.

"No one can get through that way," Ian said with a sheepish smile.

I rolled my eyes. "Obviously"

"I think we'd better pause in this search and get back to the others," the Doctor declared. "Come along."

Ian nodded in agreement. "All right, you lead on," he said as he and I followed the Doctor out.

()()()

The walk back to the TARDIS was shorter, but upon arriving, Barbara and Susan were nowhere in sight.

"Barbara? Susan?" I called, looking around, but I received no response.  
They were gone. "Oh great."

Ian looked around, aghast. "Why? Why do they do it?"

"It might have been something to do with that gunfire we heard across the river," the Doctor offered.

"Yes, I suppose they might have hidden somewhere."

"Well, let's wait and see, hmm?" the Doctor declared as he sat down on a wooden crate.

I sat down beside him, kneading my hands together as I mulled over what we'd found in the warehouse. "That body. You know, I want to get away from here."

The Doctor looked at me in slight surprise. "Yes, but aren't you even a bit curious? Aren't you, Chesterton?" he added to Ian. "After all, it's your city. Don't you want to know what's happened to it?"

Ian shook his head. "No. No, I don't want to know. Where the devil are those two?" he added, gritting his teeth as he glanced over his shoulder.

A bad feeling twisted tightly in the pit of my stomach, something was telling me something had happened to Susan and Barbara while we'd been away.

"High tide," the Doctor remarked, jerking me from my thoughts.

"Huh?"

"High tide."

I look down at the river and noticed the water was steadily rising. "Evening," he replied, "Look how filthy that water is." I added, noting the grimy muck flowing thickly before us.

Meanwhile, Ian was pacing impatiently around the clearing. He paused in front of a brick wall under the bridge to inspect a faded, peeling poster stuck to the corroded stone.

"Doctor, Terna, come and have a look at this."

"Hmm? What?" the Doctor got to his feet. I did as well.

"Look." Ian pointed at the sign.

Upon reading it, I felt my heart change places with my stomach.  
Across the poster in bold, black letters were the words IT IS FORBIDDEN TO DUMP BODIES IN THE RIVER.

"Well, um, that's…" I trailed off, unsure what to make of it.

The Doctor grunted. "Huh, stupid."

Ian was surprised. "Didn't you read it?"

"Yes, and I repeat: it's stupid. A stupid place to put a poster: right under a bridge where nobody can read it or see it."

"I don't really think that's the issue here, Doctor," I remarked.

"I don't know. If you have a body to get rid of, I should think it's a very good place to come to," Ian added simply.

"A dead human body in the river? I should say that's near murder, isn't it, hmm?"

I bit my lip, a morbid thought suddenly crossing my mind. "Bring out your dead."

The Doctor looked at me. "Hmm?"

"Plague."

Barely a moment had been given for either Ian or the Doctor to fully process what I'd said, because, at that moment, a loud humming suddenly rose up from the skyline of the city.  
Our eyes all jumped skywards just in time to see what appeared to be a large, silver disc slowly descending over the buildings of London, eventually vanishing from our view.

There was a moment of silence, only interrupted by the rhythmic churning of the river.

The Doctor eventually spoke up, "Well, that's got me worried, very worried."

"You know, Doctor, I reckon that flying saucer disappeared somewhere over the other side of the river," Ian remarked, "In the direction of Sloane Square. Somewhere over there, anyway." He pointed a ways off from us.

"Yes, now, never mind about that flying saucer, my boy," the Doctor replied, waving his hand dismissively before turning to me, "That suggestion of yours, Terna, about the plague. Supposing either Susan or Barbara's been in that water. They're bound to be contaminated with some sort of bacteria."

I made a face, repulsed at the thought. "They're not likely to drink that. You can tell it's no good just by looking at it."

The Doctor nodded in agreement. "Yes, the smell of it's enough. Anyway, let us go further afield. Come along, come along," he waved us forward, and we made our way over towards a slope of sour, yellow grass. He turned back to us, "Now I suggest that you go up that way, Chesterton, while Terna and I go-"

I gripped his arm, cutting him off just as the sound of three guns being cocked could be heard. The Doctor whirled around and froze upon seeing three men standing on the edge of the slope.

They were identical to the dead man in the warehouse: dressed in blue jumpsuits with those same metal contraptions attached to their heads.  
However, these three were very much alive, blocking our path, and point guns at our heads.

I let go of the Doctor's arm, never taking my eyes off the three men in the helmets for a second. They stood unmoving and unblinking; their eyes were glassy and cold as ice, boring into my mind.

I found it difficult to move.

The Doctor meanwhile, grabbed my hand and jerked his body as if he were about to run, but Ian put his hand out to stop him.  
"It's no use running."

"We can go back down there, hmm?" the Doctor whispered quietly, gesturing behind him towards the murky Thames.

I grimaced. "You mean swim?"

"What else?"

"Hang on, we haven't tried talking yet," Ian said to us before calmly turning to the three men, "What do you want?"

He took a step forward, and all three men immediately trained their weapons on him; their actions were stiff, seemingly without feeling.  
"Stop." The one in the middle spoke, his voice flat and almost robotic.

"It's no good," the Doctor urged quietly, gripping Ian's arm. "Listen. When I give the word, turn and dive in the water."

Ian eventually relented, and I nodded in agreement as well.

"Now!" the Doctor yelled, and all three of us spun around, preparing to dive headfirst into the dark river. However, as soon as we turned towards it, a bulky shape slowly began to rise out of the murky waters. Its body was like that of a pepperpot with two glass antennae on top, a plunger appendage and a gun at its side.  
It turns its nozzle-like eye and stared directly at me, its single 'eye' glowing fiercely.

I felt every fiber of my body contract in complete terror.  
It was a Dalek.

A Dalek on Earth.

I couldn't move. I was frozen where I stood, watching with wide eyes and a mouth half-open in complete shock as the Dalek rose out of the water and alighted on the bank.

There was only one, but I knew from experience that a single Dalek could annihilate an entire planet.

The Dalek in question finally turned its eye nozzle away from me, and I felt like a little air had been let back into my lungs as it addressed the men in the helmets.

"Why. Have. The. Human. Beings. Been. Allowed. To. Get. So. Near. The. River?"

As it spoke, a million horrible, burning memories instantly flooded my system, and I was nearly overwhelmed.  
"Doctor, that voice."

"Steady, Terna." The Doctor was still holding my hand, and he squeezed it reassuringly.

I closed my eyes, hearing my blood pounding in my brain.  
"Oh God."

I reopened them when I heard another of the robotic men in helmets answer the Dalek's question. "No explanation." His voice is the same tone and consistency as the first one.

What are these things? Their obviously in league with the Daleks. They look human, but there were obvious reservations.

"Where. Is. The. Robo-Patrol. For. This. Section?" the Dalek continued.

"Not known," the first of the robot men replied.

"You. Will. Take. His. Place. Until. He. Is. Found," the Dalek addressed him before turning to the other two, "The. Human. Beings. Are. To. Be. Taken. To. Landing. Area. One."

Ian, who was previously too horrified to speak, finally seemed to find his voice again.  
"Daleks on Earth! Doctor, how did this happen?"

"Leave this to me, dear boy," the Doctor assured him, giving my hand one last squeeze before stepping forward to face the Dalek. "I think you'd better let us go."

"We. Do. Not. Release. Prisoners," the Dalek replied matter-of-factly, swinging its eye towards him. "We. Are. The. Masters. Of. The. Earth."

I was suddenly very afraid for him.

"Not for long," the Doctor declared.

_Doctor, please stop_. I felt like I was being torn in half; a part of me wanted to start running and never stop even though I knew I could never outrun a Dalek weapon; another part of me wanted to throw myself in front of the Doctor and plead for our lives.

"Obey. Us. Or. Die."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Die? And just who are you to condemn us to death?" he took a slight step backward and addressed Ian and me under his breath.  
"I think we'd better pit our wits against them and defeat them."

"But how can we?" I replied under my breath. "I don't have my Omni-Vice."

"Stop." The Dalek's interjection instantly made me snap my mouth shut. "I. Can. Hear. You. I. Have. Heard. Similar. Words. From. Leaders. Of. Your. Different. Races. All. Of. Them. Were. Destroyed. I. Warn. You. Resistance. Is. Useless."

It trundled a few paces closer to us.

"Doctor." I heard my voice breaking slightly; the Doctor grabbed my hand again.

"Resistance is useless? Surely you don't expect all the people to welcome you with open arms?"

"We. Have. Already. Conquered. Earth."

"Conquered the Earth?" the Doctor actually laughed at this; I stared at him in shock. "You poor, pathetic creatures. Don't you realize? Before you attempt to conquer the Earth, you will have to destroy all living matter."

The Dalek has had enough; it swung back to face the three Robo-Men, who were stiffly and silently standing at attention behind it. "Take. Them. Take. Them."

The three Robo-Men descended upon us, each grabbing one of us and twisting our arms behind our backs. I didn't bother to struggle; I knew it's no good without my Omni-Vice.

The frustration mixing with the fear burned within me, a potent mixture.

As we're lead away, the Dalek's words echoed in my ears.  
"We. Are. The. Masters. Of. Earth. We. Are. The. Masters. Of. Earth. We. Are. The. Masters. Of. Earth."

()()()

The Doctor, Ian, and I were lead along the river bank towards a tall building that was surprisingly intact. Beside the building stood the gigantic flying saucer we'd seen revolving through the sky a few minutes previously.

As we approached the huge ship, an antennae on the roof pulsed with energy and a message soon blasted out of the tip: "Survivors. Of. London. The. Daleks. Are. The. Masters. Of. Earth. Surrender. Now. And. You. Will. Live. Those. Wishing. To. Surrender. Must. Stand. In. The Middle. Of The Street. And. Obey. Orders. Received. Message. Ends."

I couldn't help but pause, despite the Robo-Man holding me. My heart was thundering in my chest, and my breathing hitched in my throat.

"Keep moving," the Robo-Man shoved me further. I closed my eyes, my thoughts pounding in my skull were full of burning, death, war, and regret, so much regret.

When I reopened them, I caught the Doctor's eye.

"Doctor…"

"Easy does it, Terna. Steady. It's alright," he whispered reassuringly to me, "Everything's going to be fine."

"But Doctor, if they find out that I'm a Lyall, they'll kill me," I hissed frantically.

"Then I suggest you keep your voice down."

"Doctor, I don't understand this at all," Ian interjected from the other side of me, "We saw the Daleks destroyed on Skaro. We were there."

"My dear boy, what occurred on Skaro was a million years ahead of us in the future. What we're seeing now is about the middle history of the Daleks."

"Also, what we witnessed there was only a small platoon guarding their home world base; for all we know, thousands of them could still be roaming the stratosphere," I added, feeling my mood dip even further at the thought.

As we approached the saucer, a ramp was lowered, and three Daleks slid down it, eye stocks trained keenly on us.

"Look, they've taken some more prisoners." The Doctor pointed to two other men being roughly escorted towards the saucer by another Robo-Man.

"They certainly look different, don't they?" Ian remarked as the Daleks wheeled over to inspect them.

"You mean the discs on their backs?" the Doctor asked him.

"Yes. Perhaps that accounts for their increased mobility," Ian surmised, "Do you remember? On Skaro, they could only move on metal."

As I watched the Daleks, flickers of memory jumped in my mind. "I've seen this technique used before: during the Imperial Wars. This is an invasion force, therefore they have to adapt themselves to the planet."

One of the Daleks addressed the Robo-Man leading the other two prisoners, making us all fall instantly silent. "Where. Are. The. Other. Two. From. Your. Patrol?"

"This man killed them both," the Robo-Man replied flatly.

"For. This. You. Will. Be. Punished. Continue. Your. Patrol. The. Prisoners. Will. Fall. In. Line."

He urged the two men towards us, so that we were all huddled together in a group. As we stood together, one of the three Daleks made its way up the ramp and back into the saucer.

"There'll be no escape once they get us inside there," one of the two other prisoners, who was a short, squat man with thinning dark hair, declared grimly.

"They're not getting me," his companion replied urgently, "I'm going to try something. You with me?"

"Don't be a fool, mate; you haven't got a chance."

"They're not getting me back in that filthy mine!"

"The. Prisoners. Will. Remain. Silent," one of the two remaining Daleks thundered.

"Forward," one of the Robo-Men commanded.

As we are herded up the ramp, the young man tried to break away, but one of the Daleks got in his way. He tried to circle around, but the second Dalek slid forward, sandwiching the man between the two of them

From the top of the ramp, a third Dalek appeared; this one I instantly recognized as a General due to its black top and black side panels.

It watched coldly as its two underlings pressed in around the attempted escapee. He started to cry; he's so young.

I'd started forward before I'd even registered my movements, but Ian grabbed my arm to hold me back.

"Don't be a fool. You can't help him now."

"Help me!" the man pleaded, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Kill. Him," the black Dalek commanded.

There's a flash of sickly green light, and the man crumpled to the floor: dead before he even hit the ground.

The Black Dalek then turned to us.  
"Any. Further. Resistance. Will. Be. Dealt. With. In. The. Same. Way."

"The. Prisoners. Will. Proceed. Into. The. Ship," one of its underlings added, and the Robo-Men pushed us forward.

The Daleks and Robo-Men escorted us up the ramp and into the saucer. The inside was the same stark silver design as the exterior, and the polished framework was so bright it made my eyes hurt.

Our footsteps echoed along the halls as we were ushered along; moving through the corridors, we caught a glimpse of the bridge where several Daleks were operating a set of sophisticated computers, far greater than the equipment we'd seen on Skaro.

I noticed that the Doctor couldn't seem to help but marvel at everything around us.  
"The work of a genius."

"Yes, pretty impressive," Ian agreed solemnly, "And absolutely escape-proof."

"Only on the surface, my friends," the Doctor assured him with a sly smile.

I arched an eyebrow at this; I suppose I should have expected the Doctor to have a plan by now. I just hoped it wasn't one that could get us killed.

I suddenly caught sight of the large, red, jewel-like eye of a sophisticated camera winking at us from up in the corner.

I tapped the Doctor on the shoulder and subtly gestured to it, pressing a finger to my lips.

We instantly fell silent.

"Move." A Rob-Man jabbed me in the back before I had time to ponder that further, and I was forced to keep moving.

Eventually, we came to a hallway full of prison cells. They were all empty, and made of a very thick metal.

A guard was pacing in front of the nearest cell. It swung its nozzle towards us as we approached.  
"Halt. You. Will. Move. One. By. One. Slowly. Into. The. Prison. Cell."

"Move," the Robo-Man said again as the cell was opened, and we all began to file in.

First Ian, then the surviving other prisoner whose name I didn't know. The Doctor was next, but he veered slightly to the left, taking a rather alarmingly long look down the corridor beyond the cell.

I gaped at him. Was he trying to get himself shot?

"Doctor!"

"You. Reverse. And. Move," the guard Dalek shoved the Doctor towards the cell, and he reluctantly backed into it. I was then urged into it, and the Robo-Man then slammed the door securely behind us.

With us all safely locked inside, the Dalek and Robo-Men then departed the scene.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath; I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest now that I was away from the Daleks. My knees buckled slightly; I hadn't noticed my body had been shaking until it'd stopped.

The Doctor wasted no time. "I had a good look into that corridor. Did you notice the television eyes round about?" he asked.

"Yes, I did. There aren't any in here," Ian observed.

I looked around as well and saw that he was in fact correct.  
"Huh, that's oddly convenient."

"I'll tell you what I did see, Doctor," Ian continued, "What I took to be a loading bay door; that could be a way out. Of course, it could be guarded outside."

"It will be," the other human man replied.

"Yes. Nevertheless, it has possibilities," the Doctor declared.

"What for?" the man snapped, "You can't get the door open. There's no escape, I tell you."

"My young friend, don't be so pessimistic," the Doctor chided, "What is your name, by the way?"

"Craddock, Jack Craddock."

"Well, Mr. Jack Craddock, don't be such a defeatist. Our job is to try and get out of here, and quickly."

Craddock scoffed. "You're just fooling yourselves. You don't know the Daleks."

It was my turn to scoff. "Oh, you'd be surprised, my friend; I do believe I know them better than anyone."

Craddock gave me an odd look. "Well, what I do know is once they've got you inside a saucer, you're finished."

"Craddock, tell us: how did it happen, the invasion of Earth?" Ian inquired.

Craddock looked at him like he had three heads. "Have you been on a moon station or something?"

"Yes," Ian instantly replied.

Craddock sighed heavily. "Well, meteorites came first: the Earth was bombarded with them about ten years ago; a cosmic storm, the scientists called it. Then the meteorites stopped, and everything settled down, but then people began to die of this new kind of plague."

"So, I was right about that sign," I mused, "Advanced chemical warfare most likely."

Cradock nodded. "Yes, the Daleks were up in the sky just waiting for Earth to get weaker. Whole continents of people were wiped out: Asia, Africa, South America. They used to say the Earth had a smell of death about it."

"But why, Craddock?" Ian cried, "What were the doctors and the scientists doing about it?"

"Oh, well, they came up with some new kind of drug, but it was too late then."

"Why?"

"Well, the plague had split the world into tiny little communities, too far apart to combine and fight, and too small individually to stand any chance against invasion."

"Divide and conquer," I said quietly.

Craddock nodded. "About six months after the meteorites fell, the saucers landed; some cities were razed to the ground, others were simply occupied. Anyone who resisted was destroyed. Some people were captured and turned into Robo-Men: the slaves of the Daleks. They caught other human beings and many of them were shipped to the vast mining areas. No one escapes. The Robo-Men see to that.  
They were our own people, made to work against us, and the Daleks knew that. They knew how they'd humiliated and degraded us. They are the masters of Earth."

I looked at Craddock, and couldn't help recalling that moment, on the worst day of my life as I huddled in the darkness of the White Palace in the Eedonya Capitol, praying to the Eyes of Lila for salvation, all the people crowded around me, weeping and wailing, quaking from pain and misery as hell broke loose around us.

"But why, Craddock?" Ian cried, "That's the one thing you haven't told us. What is it that the Daleks want on Earth?"

Craddock simply shook his head, "I don't know. Something under the ground: they've turned the whole of Bedfordshire into a gigantic mine area."

"What are they digging for?" I asked.

"I don't know."

"Suppose we forget all this blab about Bedfordshire," the Doctor interjected, "Have any of you seen this?"

He pointed to what appeared to be a block of Perspex with seven vertical tubes cut into it and a piece of metal in the middle.  
As Ian and I walked closer to examine it, Craddock knelt down and picked something up off the floor.

"What is that you've got there?" the Doctor asked him.

"A magnifying glass. I just picked it up."

"Oh, I miss my Omni-Vice" I said forlornly.

"Well, Doctor, what do you make of this?" Ian inquired as he continued to examine the Perspex.

"I wouldn't touch it," Craddock urged.

"Hmm," the Doctor looked around the cell, finally spotting a piece of metal nestled on a ledge over our heads, "Let me have that bar up there for a moment, will you?"

Ian grabbed it and passed it to him. "Is it glass or something?" he asked of the Perspex.

"I should say it was more advanced than that," the Doctor asserted, "Well now, let's try a little experiment."

"All right."

A second later, another message echoed throughout the saucer; the voice sounded monstrous so close to the antennae, making my ears ring and the whole cell vibrate:  
"Rebels. Of. London. This. Is. Our. Last. Offer. Our. Final. Warning. Leave. Your. Hiding. Places. Show. Yourselves. In. The. Open. Streets. You. Will. Be Fed. And. Watered. Work. Is. Needed. From. You. The. Daleks. Offer. You. Life."

While Craddock, Ian, and I hung on to every word the Dalek spoke, the Doctor paid it no mind as he held the bar above the block making the metal piece inside move.

"Hey!" Ian redirected his attention.

"You see? It responds: magnetized."

"A profound discovery, Mister," Craddock snapped sarcastically, "Doesn't help us."

"Why did the Daleks put it there in the first place?" I asked.

"Now that's a very good question, my dear," the Doctor commended, "Suppose you were a Dalek, and you found yourself locked up in this room. How would you get out?"

Craddock shrugged. "Push the door open?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Young man, the Daleks have only feelers, no hands, and they use their brains, not brute force."

"You mean this is some sort of a key?" Ian deduced.

"Now that's the very word. A key in a crystal box. You open the box, take out the key and use it. That is precisely what the Dalek would do."

"Yes, but what are _we_ going to do, Doctor?" Ian asked.

"Look at that little light up there." The Doctor pointed to the top of the Perspex.

"Yes, I see, and the box is transparent," Ian mused.

"Quite. Let me have that thing, will you?" the Doctor asked of Craddock, who held up the magnifying glass.

"What, this?"

"Yes, that. Thank you." The Time Lord then held the magnifying glass above the box. "Now, we have to make sure that we hit the correct refractive, otherwise we shall get showered with crystal glass."

Ian, Craddock, and I immediately took a huge step back.  
"Yeah, uh, please don't do that."

Craddock seemed to be struggling to understand what the Doctor was attempting to do. "Refractive…? Rubbish! The Daleks don't leave things like this about for you to help yourselves."

"My dear boy, if they had to deal with a man of your talents, they need hardly fear, need they?" the Doctor snapped, "Now do sit down and rest, please," he added, pointing to a bench in the corner.

Craddock glared, angered at being patronized, but eventually relented, slumping over to the bench.

"Oh, dear, now where were we?" the Doctor continued, turning back to the Perspex, "Ah, yes, of course, yes, yes, yes. Now, X equals gamma, which means roughly two and a half percent, so that should give us a curve of around about eighty degrees. Oh, by the way, did you take three dimensional graph geometry at your school, hmm?"

Ian shook his head. "No, Doctor, only Boyle's Law."

I looked between the two of them. "What the hell are you two talking about?"

"What a pity. What a pity," the Doctor shook his head, "We shall have to boil this down now, shan't we? Well, now then, let's see. We'll start third from the left and then I'll follow it from the right and straight over. All right? Now put that bar there, and watch your eyes because you know, it might be nasty. Are you ready?"

Ian obliged, holding the metal bar at the end of the box, where there was a hole.

Craddock rolled his eyes. "And a great big pumpkin too."

The Doctor shushed him. Not a second later, the metal shot out of the box.

Ian's face broke into a grin. "Hey, look at that."

The Doctor then plucked the metal off the ground and handed it to a gawking Craddock.  
"Hold that and shut up, will you? Pay attention. Let me have the bar, please," he added to Ian.

"You know, Doctor, sometimes you astound me."

"Only sometimes, dear boy?" the Doctor chuckled as he took the metal bar from him, "What's happened to your memory? Don't you remember we know that the Daleks can use static electricity?"

"Of course."

As I watched the two of them work, their scientific conversation going clean over my head; I suddenly felt Craddock tug on my coat sleeve.  
"Hey, how do you know so much about them, the Daleks I mean?"

"I've met them many times before," I replied somberly.

"Yes, as did we," the Doctor added, "And we happened to outwit them, too. Please be quiet, will you? Oh, dear, dear, dear. Now, all we have to do is to slide this bar back here, and the self-same bar slides back into place here through electricity."

"And it's held in place by magnetic force," Ian added.

"Precisely. Now I want you to give me a hand in a minute. Terna, you too," the Doctor called to me, "Just turn that pole under there, will you. There, you see?"

I cautiously took hold of end of the mechanism at the bottom of the Perspex

"I see what you mean," Ian deduced. "Like poles repel, eh?"

"Yes, precisely. Now we've created a force field," the Doctor declared, "Right, now turn the pole round. Terna, give him a hand, quickly. Come on."

It took both of us to handle the metal bar as we tried to pull it into place inside the lock on the door.

"Come on," the Doctor urged.

After a bit more effort, we manage to get the bar free, and the cell door slid open.

Everyone stared at the now open door, stunned; in utter disbelief of the fact that it had actually worked.

I turned to the Doctor. "I'm impressed, Time Lord."

"You're a genius," Ian gushed.

"Yes, there are very few of us left," the Doctor declared, seeming very pleased with himself. "Now, let's get out, and be crafty."

Slowly, the Doctor, Ian, Craddock, and I all slipped out of the cell and began to make our way down the hall.  
No sooner had we rounded the corner that we were immediately surrounded by Daleks and Robo-Men.

The latter seized us, pinning us in place as one of the Daleks approached the Doctor, struggling against his restraints.  
"You. Have. Passed. The. Escape. Test. We. Select. You. Take. Him. He. Will. Be. Robotized."

My eyes widened in horror as I realized what that meant.  
"No, Doctor!" I shrieked, lunging forward, but the grip of the Robo-Man holding me was like a vice, and he fiercely tugged me back.

"Let go of me! Take your hands off me!" the Doctor struggled as he was dragged down the hall away from the cells.

The rest of the Robo-Men threw Ian, Craddock and me back into the cell.

I rushed forward before they could close it, seeing the Doctor being hauled out of sight.

"Doctor! Stop! You can't do this."

"Terna, no, stay where you are." I froze; it wasn't an order, it was a plea. I watched, helpless, as the Robo-Men lead the Doctor away, the cell door sliding shut before my eyes, separating us.

()()()

I sat on the bench in the cell by the window, my head resting in my partially gloved hands.  
Ian was pacing the room; he'd been doing that since they'd dragged Craddock out of the room, kicking and screaming while we could do nothing.

That had been over an hour ago; the Doctor had been gone even longer.

I wanted to cry. I slowly lowered my hands; my eyes stinging as the aforementioned tears threatened to fall. I looked down at my hands resting in my lap and slowly pulled one of the gloves off my hand, exposing the pale, white scars that were the remnants of the burns I'd suffered on Skaro.

Those burns were a mark, a reminder of what I'd done and what I'd failed to do.  
On Skaro, I'd forced peaceful people to fight and die, and now here I was incapable of protecting those I cared for.

I twisted the silver and blue infinity symbol ring on my finger, glancing blankly out the window as my thoughts curdled sour with age-old pain and misery. I'd found this ring on Skaro, my ring, the mark of my royalty.

It was a badge of shame now.

Through the window, I could see the yard we'd been lead into when we'd first been captured. A similar scene was playing out at that moment as another group of recaptured humans were escorted to the saucer by still more Robo-Men.

"Stand by," one of them said, halting the prisoners.

A Dalek wheeled down the ramp towards them. "Take. The. Prisoners. Into. The. Ship. Wait. From. Which. Sector. Were. These. Prisoners. Taken?"

"Sector Four," one of the Robo-Man replied.

I instantly perked up; that voice…it sounded the typical Robo-Man monotone, but there was something off about it.

"No. Patrol. Has. Been. Ordered. In. Sector. Four," the Dalek cried.

There was a pause and then:

"Now!" a bodiless cry rose up from the group, and all the prisoners and Robo-Men, who were really disguised humans, pulled out fistfuls of odd-looking bombs.  
They began hurling them at the Daleks before any of them had a chance to react.

I jumped to my feet as the yard filled with smoke and the sound of explosions.

Ian rushed to stand beside me.

The Daleks spun throughout the chaos, crying out wildly.

"Warning!"

"Attack!"

"Warning!"

"Attack!"

"Get. The. Prisoners. Inside."

"Get down," a human voice called before the air was set alight with the sights and sounds of

of Dalek weaponry.

"All right, let's get a move on."

Ian and I exchanged a glance. These must be the rebels that message had spoken of.  
We heard the sounds of the fighting drawing closer as the resisting humans spilled into the saucer.

We both bolted to the cell door, pressing ourselves up against it so as to see further down the hall.

Flashes of explosions from the bombs and shocks of Dalek gunfire were all we could make out for a time before some men came sprinting down the corridor towards us.

"Right, now spread out, and try and free the prisoner before you use those bombs," one of them, a thin, dark-haired man with scruff across his chin, who seemed to be the leader, commanded the others, and they all broke apart.

As his underlings ran off, the leader pulled a revolver and scanned the area, walking past our cell, seemingly oblivious.

I grew impatient and started banging on the cell's clear door.

"Get us out! Hey, you! Yeah, with the gun! A little help?"

The man looked at me in alarm for a moment before unlocking the door and releasing us.  
"Any more in there?" he asked Ian.

"No, Craddock was taken away," Ian replied gravely.

"And the Doctor," I cried, "We have to find the Doctor."

Our rescuer shook his head grimly, "If he's in the operating room, it's already too late for him, and it's too dangerous to risk it."

I glared at him; I'd had enough of this. "Fine. Do what you like." I then turned on my heel and bolted down the hall in the direction I'd seen the Daleks take the Doctor.

"Terna, wait!" I vaguely heard Ian call after me, but I ignored him.

As I sprinted through the polished, silver halls, I could hear the sounds of battle raging all around me: shouts and screams from human rebels as the Daleks screeched their rallying cry of 'Exterminate' punctuated with the blasts of their weapons.  
Explosions reverberated against my ears as I made my way along the hallway; my eyes scanned desperately, trying to figure out exactly where the Daleks had taken the Doctor.

My eye suddenly caught sight of a closed door with the words 'Operating Room' painted across it. I suddenly remembered what the man that had rescued Ian and me had said; that was where the Doctor was.

I didn't dwell any further as I kicked the door in with as much strength as I could muster; it feebly fell open, and I stepped into the room just as another message blared over the loudspeaker.

"We. Are. Under. Attack. Report. To. Main Ramp. General. Alert. Report. To. Main. Ramp."

There were two Robo-Man standing around an operating table in the center of the room; the Doctor was lying unconscious across the slab with dozens of tubs and wires all looping and pulsing around him, linking back to elaborate computers and machinery.

I quickly ducked behind one of said devices as the Robo-Man began to oblige to the command given over the intercom.

"Disregard," the Black Dalek suddenly asserted, sliding into view. "Commence. The. Operation."

I gritted my teeth as the Robo-Men turned to the Doctor to begin converting him. I waited with bated breath as the Black Dalek breezed past me and into the hall to aid its underlings against the rebel assault.  
Once it was out of sight, I wasted no time; I jumped up and grabbed a disused Robo-Man helmet from a nearby table.

I raced up behind one of the Robo-Men and whacked it over the head with the helmet; the colliding metal made a loud clang before the butchered man crumpled to the floor.

Its comrade whirled around and tried to shoot at me. I dodged the blast, feeling then heat singe my hair before I stuck my leg out and tripped the disgruntled cyborg up. He flipped upward then fell like a stone with the satisfying crash of his head colliding with the edge of one of the computers, thoroughly smashing its head in.

With both threats now incapacitated, I rushed over to the Doctor, who was still lying unconscious on the table.  
"Doctor?" I gripped his shoulders and shook him slightly, "Doctor! Can you hear me?"  
No response. "Doctor, come on!" I cried, my voice breaking in frustration.  
I could hear the sounds of the fighting drawing nearer; we could be swarmed with Daleks and Robo-Man at any second.

Grinding my teeth, I managed to heave the Doctor off the table and throw one of his arms over my shoulder to prop him up. He didn't indicate in any way that he was lucid during my attempts to move him.

I staggered a few paces, struggling to even out our weight.  
Another message sounded off over my head, "All. Robo-Men. Reserve. Into. Action. Destroy. Invaders."

Not a second later, two men burst into the room. I stiffened, for a second thinking their Robo-Men, but I soon realized that both are bare-headed and one of them was actually the man that had sprung Ian and I from our cell.

"We must get out of here," the second man, who had a round face and floppy black hair, urged his comrade.

The first man nodded in agreement before noticing me, "Baker, help her carry him."

The other man, Baker, obliged, hurrying over to me and throwing the Doctor's other arm around his shoulders so that he was supported between us. We hastily make our way out of the operating room and down the hall towards the exit to the saucer.

All around us, the other resistance fighters were freeing prisoners and wrecking the place.

From somewhere behind me, I heard the man that had rescued me shouting to his comrades. "Come on, get out! All right, now, let's go. Use the bombs!"

We're just making our way down the ramp when everything went up in smoke and fire.

()()()

Baker and I managed to make our way a good distance from the building as the saucer burned behind us. My helper seemed discouraged as he kept scanning the area for any sign of others that had escaped the saucer, but we continually encountered no one.

"Thanks for your help," I offered, attempting to distract him.

Baker looked at me; his expression not unlike he was seeing me for the first time.  
"I don't believe I ever caught your name."

"It's Terna, and he's the Doctor," I explained, gesturing to the Time Lord, who's still draped unconscious between us.

"I see. Hold up!" Baker suddenly froze before the open doorway to another decrepit warehouse.

"What?" I hissed, but fell silent when I caught a flicker of movement and then a man stepped into view. He was young, probably no older than eighteen; he had strong, handsome features and short, curly dark hair.

Baker's face instantly lit up in recognition. "David!"

"Baker!" the other man rushed over to us.

"I'm glad to see you made it to the rendezvous spot."

"Are you all right?" David asked Baker.

"Yes. It's him I'm worried about," he replied, gesturing to the Doctor.

"I'll give you a hand," David offered just as a second person stepped out of the warehouse.

"Who is it, David? Someone you know?"

My head snapped up as I instantly recognized the voice. "Susan! Oh thank God. Is that really you?" I broke away from the Doctor, who was now being supported by Baker and David and rushed over to embrace her tightly.  
I couldn't believe our good luck.

"Terna?" Susan seemed as shocked as I was, then she noticed the Doctor, "Grandfather!" she hastily broke away from me and ran over to him, "What is it? Is he all right? He's not too badly hurt, is he?"

"The Daleks drugged him," I explained, going back over to help.

The Doctor's eyes shifted open slightly; he groaned. "Susan….?"

"It's beginning to wear off," Baker proclaimed.

"Put him down here," David instructed as well all carried him into the warehouse and set him down by the door, out of harm's way. "What about the others?" he added to Baker.

"Four or five got away. The rest dead or prisoners."

"Terna, where's Ian? Wasn't he with you?" Susan asked me as we laid the Doctor down on the ground and sat down beside him, Susan holding his hand.

"Ian, he..." I faltered, suddenly remembering what had happened. "I ran off," I said quietly, "I ran off and left him. I was so worried about your grandfather that I didn't…" My voice broke as I pressed my hand to my mouth, "Oh God, what am I going to tell Barbara?

Susan smiled, attempting to console me as she placed a hand on my shoulder, "Oh, don't lose heart, Terna. This is Ian we're talking about; I'm sure he got away."

Meanwhile, David was talking with Baker. "What are you going to do then? Do you want to stay here with us?"

Baker shook his head. "A large group won't stand a chance; I thought I'd try on my own. I'll make for the Cornish coast; it's deserted down there, not much for the Daleks."

"That's a good idea."

"We must stay in London," Susan interjected.

"Yes, we still have friends in potential danger," I agreed.

"Well, I must be on my way," Baker declared.

"Look, Baker, here," David held out a canteen, "Take this hip flask. It's full."

Baker held up a hand in protest, "No, it's all right."

"Look, go on, man, take it. There's tons of food in London. You'll need all you can get where you're going."

"All right then, thanks," Baker relented, taking the canteen, "Good luck to you all. I hope you find your friends," he added to Susan and me.

"Be careful, and thank you," I said to him.

"Goodbye," Susan added.

Baker goes off, exiting the warehouse, straight into a pair of Daleks.

"Fire."

The air lit up before Baker collapsed to the ground, dead. I clapped a hand over Susan's mouth to stop her screaming just as the Doctor woke up.

"What's happened?"

"You don't want to know."

()()()

The sun was just beginning to rise as Susan and I helped the still slightly unsteady Doctor find his feet again while David kept watch outside the warehouse.

"Take it easy," Susan urged him when he stumbled slightly.

Her grandfather smiled weakly. "This is a time I should have had my stick."

"Yes, I'll have to try and find you one."

The Doctor nodded before sitting down on a crate.  
"I think that's quite enough to start with. You know, I never realized that walking was so difficult, so exhausting."

"How's the numbness?" I inquired, "Is it wearing off?"

The Doctor flexed his fingers experimentally. "Yes, I think it is."

"Good."

"In a while, I might be able to travel."

"David says we should head for the north," Susan informed him, "There's a resistance group up there. He says we should join up with them."

The Doctor looked annoyed. "I don't care what that young man says. I make the decisions here, my dear, and I think we should make our way back to the TARDIS."

"What's the good of that, Grandfather? We need someone to help us blast all that rubble. Besides, London's crawling with Daleks. We must go north."

"Do you question my authority, child?"

"No, Grandfather, it's not that at all. It's just that David says-"

"You seem to place more reliance on that young man's word than mine, don't you?"

"Oh, Grandfather, it's not that. It's simply that he lives in this time; he understands the situation."

"What about Ian and Barbara?" I interjected, "We can't simply abandon them."

"What good are we to them now?" I replied, "You saw what the Daleks did to Baker; we can't be careless."

"Susan-" I started, but she cut me off.

"I know you feel guilty, Terna, but there isn't anything we can do."

Before I could respond, David came rushing back into the warehouse.

"I've been down as far as the river, but they've got patrols on every bridge."

"So what's our next move?" I asked him.

David shook his head; he didn't seem to have gotten over the death of Baker.  
"Oh, I don't know. What would you suggest, sir?" he inquired of the Doctor.

"Me?"

"Well, you're the senior member of the party, sir, and I would be grateful for your help."

"Yes, well, uh, yes, yes, of course, young man. Yes, well, I suggest that as soon as I'm able to walk again, we should travel north." Susan and I both looked at him in surprise and then at each other. I shook my head in dismay.  
"Then we might be able to join up with the resistance party," the Doctor continued. "Mind you, it's only a suggestion. I really should leave it to you, you know? Think it out for yourself."

"It's a very good idea, Grandfather," Susan said, suppressing a smile.

"What?"

"I said, it's a very good idea."

"Yes, I think it's a very good idea." The Doctor grinned.

I rolled my eyes. "Idiot."

"Anyway, I think we should get on our way," the Doctor continued, attempting to get to his feet, but Susan held him back.

"Grandfather, I think we should stay a bit longer, don't you? David said there were loads of Daleks."

"Maybe Susan's right," David agreed, "Perhaps we should wait just five minutes more?"

"What's that noise?" I suddenly cried just as a rhythmic ticking sound filled our ears.

"Shh!" the Doctor hissed.

"David, over there. Look!" Susan cried, jumping to her feet and pointing to a large black box covered in wires sitting at the mouth of the warehouse. It was ticking loudly, distinctly. It didn't take a genius to figure out what it was.

"It's one of their firebombs," David exclaimed, jumping up as well, "The Robomen must have put it there."

Beside me, the Doctor collapsed, leaning heavily against me; I managed to catch him before he hit the ground.

"Grandfather!" Susan rushed over to help me.

"It's alright; he's just passed out," I assured her as we gingerly lie the Doctor down on the ground, "It must be the effect of those drugs. They may have overdosed him."

Susan nodded before leaping to her feet and running over to where David was crouched in front of the bomb, which was still madly ticking.

"Can you dismantle it? I only know about atomic devices."

David shook his head. "I don't know. I'll have to try." His fingers feathered gingerly over the box, unsure of which wire to pull or buttons to press.

"What's this red mark here?" Susan pointed to a spot on the box.

"It's an ignition point, I think."

"So when the needle touches the red point?" I asked, standing up and walking up behind them.

"That will be it," David replied, his mouth a grim line, "I'll have to take a chance. I'm going to try and pry the front off this thing."

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a knife, which then attempted to use to pry apart the exterior of the bomb, but the knife slipped and cut at his finger.

"David!" Susan cried as he dropped the knife and clutched at his finger, blood dripping between his closed fist.

I grabbed her hand, "Come on, let's run for it."

David, meanwhile, was fumbling in his pack for a bandage, but instead came up holding a small, green sphere. "Dortmun's bombs!" he exclaimed and I recognized it as the device used by Baker and the other rebels when they'd assaulted the Dalek saucer. "The acid will burn its way through the casing."

"It's our last chance," Susan cried, "Look at the needle." She pointed at the bomb as the ticking grew louder, faster.

"Get well back, Susan. Go on, back," David urged her as he held his knife over the second bomb.

"C'mon, Susan." I pulled her a few paces away from David; she struggled slightly against me as though reluctant to leave him.

Cautiously, David broke open the casing of the Dortmun bomb and let the thick, greenish acid leak out and drop onto the casing of the Robo-Men bomb. It dissolved instantly, but the ticking continued.  
David quickly pulled the timer out from the inside of the explosive, and the ticking immediately stopped. I held my breath, my heart standing still, but the bomb did not explode.

"Oh, you did it!" Susan exclaimed, rushing back over to hug David, who looked shaken but relieved.

"Well, what do we do now?" I asked him.

"That's a good question. We'll have to leave the old man here for a while."

My eyes widened. "Leave him?"

"No, we can't do that!" Susan cried.

"We must," David insisted, "He can't travel, can he? What we'll do is this: we'll tell him to hide, and then we'll find a way out of London," he explained, "What we'll do is go through the sewers. There's got to be a manhole cover around here somewhere".

I crossed my arms, a horrible feeling twisting in the pit of my stomach.  
"I don't like the idea of leaving him."

"We'll come back for him," David urged, momentarily breaking away from Susan and placing a hand on my shoulder. "Look, the Daleks think this area's in flames, so he'll be safe for at least hour."

I hesitated, my sense of foreboding never wavering despite David's attempts to comfort me.

"David, we can't!" Susan continued to protest.

"It's the only way."

I sighed. "As much as I don't like it, David's right, Susan," I finally relented. "We have to trust him on this."

Susan's bottom lip trembled slightly, but I could tell from her eyes that she was agreeing with us, even if she didn't like it.

With a reassuring nod in her direction, I turned from her and David and headed back into the warehouse to talk with the Doctor.

I found him awake again; he looked up as I approached.  
"Forgive me, Terna; I just suddenly felt giddy."

"Overdose on the anesthetic probably," I surmised, crouching down beside him, "Don't worry, you'll be right as rain in no time."

"I certainly hope so. What was that ticking noise just now?"

"A bomb the Daleks left. Don't worry; David disabled it," I assured the Doctor when he looked understandably worried.

"What a capable young man," the Doctor remarked of David.

"Yes, Susan seems quite taken with him," I agreed, glancing outside to see the two of them standing close together, talking quietly, "Susan told me that he was the one that saved her and Barbara when they were attacked by Robo-Men, took them to some kind of bunker where the rebels were held up; they were the one's that attacked the saucer and freed us, using some kind of bomb a scientist named Dortmun developed."

"I see. Well, anyways what are we to do now?"

"David says we need to find a way out of London via the sewers."

"Well, then what are we waiting for?" The Doctor tried to stand again but stumbled heavily.

"Doctor, wait," I urged, grabbing his arm, "I think-Well, we all agreed that we think it'd be best if you stayed here."

"Oh nonsense, Terna, I'm perfectly capable of-" He staggered again, On second thought." He relented, slowly sinking back to his knees.

"We won't be gone long," I assured him, "I promise. David just doesn't want to leave the city without a definitive root."

The Doctor sighed. "Alright."

"I'll be back soon," I squeezed his hand before turning to leave; however, the Doctor grabbed my sleeve.  
"Terna, wait. Keep an eye on Susan for me, hmm?"

I looked back at him in surprise before nodding astutely. I then went to join Susan and David, casting one last glance at the Doctor as I did so.

()()()

Sewers smell bad enough when there is someone cleaning them. However, the sewers in London in 2164 were as under-kept as they could get. The walls were caked in grime and filth, and putrid smelling water flowed all around us in ankle-deep sludge.

Susan gagged. "It smells like an old goat farm."

"No, it smells like a sewer," I asserted, covering my mouth with my hand as I coughed heavily.

"Look, a stick!" Susan instantly brightened when she located a firm, sleek branch lying along the pathway, "We could give this to Grandfather to help him walk."

She passed it to me, and I inspected it keenly. "Hmm, bit crude, but serviceable. In the meantime, good club." I whacked it against my palm experimentally.

Ahead of us, David, who was carrying the torch, suddenly stopped. "I think we can rest here."

"Good idea." Susan and I were relieved because, for a moment, we thought he'd spotted some kind of danger.

I made to sit down on a cleaner patch of stone, but my hand brushes against some slimy concoction festering under my feet. "Ugh, I don't want to know what this is." I groaned as I flicked my wrist wildly, attempting to get it off without touching it.

"At least we're not likely to be found down here," David declared.

I nodded before spotting something rather curious lying amidst the sewage. Gingerly, I felt through the slime and held up what I soon confirmed to be an old cartridge.

In the half-light of David's torch, I saw Susan's eyes widen in shock and even slight fear.  
"That-That can't be the Daleks; they don't use guns. David, could the Robo-Men get down here?"

David pursed his lips. "No, I don't think so."

Susan relaxed. "Well, it must be friends then."

"Not necessarily. Not all human beings are automatically allies. There are people who will kill for a few scraps of food."

"Survive at all costs," I muttered grimly, tossing the empty cartridge aside.

Meanwhile, David checked his own pistol. "Four bullets. Of course, it's no use against the Daleks, but it will stop anyone else."

"No spares?" I asked him, somewhat disturbed that anyone would wander the sewers in a post apocalypse with only four bullets.

"No. I found this gun, and that's all that was in it."

"Damn, if only I had my Omni-Vice," I ground my teeth, cursing myself for the hundredth time, "I could be more help to you."

"David!" Susan shrieked; we both jumped up and whirled around to see someone pointing a gun directly at us.

The figure was masked in shadows, so we couldn't see him, but he could see us.

"David?" the man suddenly lowered his gun, his voice full of recognition.

David reciprocated this, instantly relaxing. "Oh thank God. I'm glad we ran into you down there, Tyler."

The man nodded in agreement, stepping further into the light, so that I could recognize him to be the dark-haired man that had lead the assault on the Dalek saucer and sprang Ian and I from our cell.  
I lowered the stick I'd been prepared to smash his head in with. I was surprised; I'd taken him for dead.

"Hey, David, now that Tyler's here we can go and get Grandfather, can't we?" Susan inquired of him.

"That's a good idea."

The other man, Tyler, cocked his head to the side questioningly. "The Doctor? Where is he?"

"We had to leave him by the old plague cemetery," I explained, surprised he knew who the Doctor was; I guess Susan had told him as she acted like she'd met him before, probably at that bunker. "We're trying to find a way out of this area."

"You don't know how lucky you were," Tyler declared gravely, "At first I took you for scavengers. I met a couple down here already, but this kept them off."

"You shot at one of them, didn't you?" I surmised, I found this a cartridge case."

Tyler laughed, although, it had no humor. "I wasn't shooting at a man. These sewers are full of alligators."

Susan's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "Alligators? In the sewers of London?"

Tyler nodded. "A lot of animals escaped from zoos during the plague. Most were killed but reptiles thrive down here."

As if we didn't have enough to worry about. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Well then, I think the quicker we get going, the better?" David declared.

Susan grabbed my arm. "What's worse, the alligators down here or the Daleks up there?"

"I'll take an alligator over a Dalek any day. My brothers used to dare each other to wrestle sobeks, bit like alligators and completely manageable."

"Tyler, will you give us a hand to collect the old man?" David asked him.

"I'll take you. You're going the wrong way anyway. Now, you take the back, behind Susan and-what was your name?" he added.

"Terna."

"Foreign?"

"Sure."

David took his place behind Susan and me. "Good, now we've got guns front and rear."

"Oh, Tyler? Barbara and Ian, do you know where they are?" Susan inquired.

"I'm sorry, no" Tyler replied, although, he sounded distracted, almost apathetic despite Susan's crestfallen expression at the lack of news about our friends. "I'll go ahead now. You stay here until I call."

With that, he left.  
"Why is he so abrupt?" I asked David.

"Tyler? He's afraid to make friends. He's known too much killing."

Susan harrumphed, crossing her arms. "Well, I hope I'm never like that: pretending not to care."

David chuckled. "One day this will be all over. It'll mean a new start."

Susan nodded, smiling slightly at the thought. "A new start: rebuilding a planet from the very beginning. It's a wonderful idea."

"You could always help," David offered, nudging her playfully.

"Yes." Susan's expression was wistful.

"Ha!" I barked a laugh, jerking her from her reverie. "I doubt that. As soon as we get back into the TARDIS, it'll be off to our next location."

David gave me a funny look. "TARDIS?"

"Yeah, it's, uh, a ship of sorts."

"So is that how you managed to escape the Daleks? Have you been off world on one of those bases?"

Susan shrugged. "I suppose you could say that."

"And we'll, uh, we'll be heading back to it as soon as we're able" I added, "With your help, of course."

"Well, I couldn't go anyway," David declared, casting Susan a sideways glance I couldn't read.

Her expression, however, lit up as a thought occurred to her. "David, perhaps you could. I could ask Grandfather; I'm sure he'd let you come. He would, wouldn't he, Terna?"

I was taken aback at her abruptness; unsure of how to respond.  
"I don't see why not," I finally said. "There's plenty of room, after all."

"What do you say, David?" Susan exclaimed, "We could go to a place that has never even heard of Daleks."

David didn't seem to share her enthusiasm. "And what happens if there's something unpleasant in the new place?"

"We'll move on to somewhere else," the young Time Lady replied simply.

David shook his head. "No, Susan, that's not for me."

"Why not?"

"Look, things aren't made better by running away."

"Well, it's suicide to stay here." Susan's tone was almost angry.

"She's got a point," I agreed with her.

"This is my planet!" David exclaimed, looking in disbelief between the two of us. "I can't just run off and see what it's like on Venus!"

"I wouldn't advise Venus actually," I remarked, "Too hot."

David looked at me in astonishment; I suppose it might not surprise him at this point if I told him he was trying to discuss attachment to a planet of origin to a pair of homeless aliens. I had to wonder what he would think of that knowledge, considering his people had endured months of torment at the hands of an extraterrestrial species.

"I never felt there was any time or place that I belonged to," Susan said quietly, jerking me from my thoughts, "I've never had any real identity."

"One day you will," David proclaimed, "There will come a time when you're forced to stop traveling, and you'll arrive somewhere."

Before she could respond, Tyler's voice rang out from down the passageway.  
"All clear here. Come on now."

"Go with Terna, Susan," David urged her, "I'll keep right behind you."

We then cautiously made our way down the tunnel in the direction of Tyler's voice.  
We'd only gone a few paces when we'd turned a corner and came a brick wall that blocked our path with a small, circular tunnel a few yards above us.

"Tyler!" Susan called out, but there was no response.

"He can't have got so far ahead," David remarked, looking understandably worried.

"Perhaps our voices aren't carrying," Susan offered, "These walls could deflect the sound, I suppose."

"Here's a ladder," I called, spotting said object attached to the wall, "Let's try up there."

"Yes, all right," Susan goes up the tunnel until she reached the tunnel. "There's a tunnel through here."

"Careful, Susan," I urged as the young Time Lady crawled through the tight space and disappeared from our sight.

"I'm all right. Tyler?" I heard Susan respond, her voice echoing within the tunnel, "Tyler? Are you down there?"

"Careful," David said, even though she probably couldn't here her.

Suddenly, there was a loud creaking sound, and then we heard Susan scream.  
"David! Terna!"

David and I exchanged a glance before he jumped up three rungs of the ladder and began furiously climbing; I scrambled up after him, clambering into the tunnel.  
David stopped short, mid-crawl, ahead of me. Beyond him, I could see the tunnel dropped off sharply. A second ladder that was supposed to lead from the other end of the tunnel to the ground had come away from the wall with Susan still on it, dangling helplessly over a chasm with shallow water below.  
A guttural roar rose up from the waters, and I caught a glimpse of dark green scales.

It opened its wide jaws, and its long teeth glistened, hoping that Susan would drop down into its waiting mouth.

"Susan, hold on!" David grabbed her wrists just as Tyler appeared from a manhole above her head. David passed her to him, supporting her waist.  
Tyler hoisted her up back into the tunnel.  
She collapsed into my arms, breathing heavily; her form slightly shaking.  
"Susan, it's alright. I'm here," I assured as she gasped heavily into my shoulder, "Are you all right?" I asked, gently pulling her from me and cupping her face in my hands, so I can look her in the eye.

"Yes," the young Time Lady replied, smiling weakly, "Fantastic."

"You'd have probably given him indigestion anyway," David declared with a grin.

Susan rolled her eyes. "Thank you."

"All right now, come on," Tyler called from the manhole above us. "I've found the Doctor. He was waiting for us up here."  
A second later, a rope was dropped down.

"Be right up," I called back as I grasped the rope and started climbing.

After a moment, I heard David say from behind me, "Okay, go on up Susan."

"Where's Grandfather's stick?"

"I'll bring it. Take your time."

()()()

The Doctor coughed harshly, pressing a handkerchief to his mouth.

"Oh, dear. Ghastly. Well, I must say, this is a nice state of affairs. We've barely covered a mile and here we are hiding down the sewers again."

"Would you stop complaining, Doctor?" I snapped, "I don't like it here either, but it's better to hide down here than be caught by those Robo-Men."

"Tyler, did they see us?" David inquired of his comrade as the man came scrambling back down the ladder.

"Well, they were coming this way, but they didn't seem to know what they were going to do."

"How many?" Susan asked.

"Just two of them. Listen, I couldn't get that cover on. We'd better get under shelter."

"You do realize, of course, we shall have to let them both come down before we decide to defend ourselves," the Doctor snapped.

"Well, we can take them one at a time," Tyler declared.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, just one. The other is bound to return and bring back reinforcements."

"That is a point," I remarked.

Tyler glared at the Doctor. "If we stick together long enough, I'll learn to do what you say the first time."

Footsteps echoed above our heads, and David and Tyler begin frantically checking their ammunition. I caught a glimpse of the Robo-Men peering down the manhole before they both begin to climb down the ladder.

David flattened himself against the wall as they descended. Tyler fired his gun as the first Robo-Man, but it missed its mark.  
The Robo-Man remained unfazed; thinking quickly, I rip off my belt and wrap it around cyborg's throat. The creature let out a guttural, half-mechanical shriek as I tightened my hold.

David ran towards us.  
"Move, Tyler! Terna, out of the way."

I let go just as David fired his own weapon, but the second Robo-Man knocked him aside, sending his shot awry and tackling him to the ground.

"No!" Susan rushed to help David as he rolled around on the ground with the Robo-Man.  
The other one knocked me to the ground; I slipped in the sewage, and my belt flew from my hand.

I groped desperately for it just as the Robo-Man started toward Tyler, who was still struggling with his weapon.

The Doctor leapt forward, hitting Tyler's adversary over the head with his new walking stick. I jumped up, belt in hand just as the cyborg fell; his limbs reached out wildly, and his hand got my around the ankle, yanking me to back to the ground.  
I screamed furiously as its fist closed around my leg, kicking madly, viciously at its covered head as I felt the metal bend under my boot. I didn't stop until the Robo-Man's grip had loosened, and by that point, its head was completely smashed in.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the second Robo-Man throwing Susan off him. She fell to the floor.

"Susan!" David rushed over to her.

"I'm alright, David."

Using their distraction, the second Robo-Man started back up the ladder, but never made it as Tyler picked up David's gun and shot him.

From my spot on the ground, I took a second to catch my breath: my chest rising and falling raggedly as I tried to regain my composure.  
The Doctor came up to me, holding out his hand. "Terna, are you alright?"

"I'll live." I took his hand and allowed him to pull me to my feet.

The Doctor stooped down and picked up my fallen belt.  
"You're actually quite resourceful, even without the Omni-Vice," he said, holding it out to me.

"I have my moments," I replied, taking the leather strap from him and slipping it back around my waist.

"We should get moving, Doctor," David called to him.

"Right, yes. Come along. You lead the way, my boy. Come along."

()()()

When we were finally able to leave the sewers and move in the open once more, Tyler informed us that we were not that far from a place called Bedfordshire where the Daleks had supposedly set up their main base of operations as well as a mining facility where the captured humans were sent.  
The Doctor seemed intrigued by the information and requested we take a look at it.

By the time we reached the cliff overlooking the valley where the gigantic Dalek mother-ship was resting surrounded by the deep pits and tunnel systems of the mines, it was late evening, and Susan suggested we start cooking some dinner.

While the young Time Lady got a fire going, I helped David catch fish from a small lake a short ways down the slope.  
When we returned to the makeshift encampment with handfuls each of gleaming, grey fish, we could smell the black, burned scent of the fire.  
Susan was stoking the flames, her back to us as we came up the hill.  
David ran ahead, waving the fish around. He snuck up behind the girl and held his slimy, cold catch in front of her face.  
"Some fresh fish! You want some fresh fish? I've got some!"

Susan shrieked, falling backwards. "David, you idiot. You idiot."

She laughed, attempting to snatch the fish away from him, but David held them out of her reach. "Oh no, it's not for me! I don't want it! Not me!"

"Drop it!"

David obliged, letting the fish fall from his hand as Susan continued to grope for them. She grabbed his hand, and he closed his fingers around her own.  
Susan stared at their interlocked hands; her expression perplexed and yet oddly transfixed.  
I stopped halfway up the hill, watching them with an arched eyebrow.

"Your grandfather stood up to the journey fantastically well," David murmured, lowering his gaze.

"He's a pretty fantastic sort of man," Susan replied, taking David's other hand in hers.

I felt my stomach twist in discomfort. My fingers slipped, and I dropped the fish. I scrambled to pick them back up, stumbling somewhat as I ran the rest of the way up the hill, eyes trained on the handfuls of fish.  
"David, I got the rest of the fish. Are you-? Oh!" When I looked up once more, Susan and David had pressed their lips together in a tender kiss.

They broke apart instantly upon my arrival.

"Terna! I-we-we were just," Susan stammered, her face flushing bright red.

"Don't-Don't worry about it," I replied, averting my eyes as I felt oddly uncomfortable.

"I'm going to go see if I can find any nuts," David declared, jumping to his feet a little too quickly, "Walnuts with fish is actually quite good."

With that, he jogged back down the hill towards the stream.

"Well!" I said loudly, slapping my knees as I settled down on a slab of stone beside the fire, "That was delightfully awkward."

Susan hung her head. "I'm sorry, Terna."

"Oh goodness, don't apologize," I exclaimed, waving my hand dismissively, "You're young; it's what you do. It's just that well, Susan, he _is_ human and-"

"Terna, can I ask you something?" the young girl abruptly cut me off.

I blinked. "What? I mean, uh, sure."

"Have you-" Susan stammered, "Have you ever been in love?"

I faltered, that single question sparking a whole torrent of memories and emotions inside my mind. "I...Yes, yes actually I have. Not too long ago as a matter of fact, at least I think so," I ran my fingers through my loosened twist of hair anxiously, "Time's been a bit funny with me lately, but yes, I have."

Susan eagerly sat down on the stone beside me, scooting closer, "What was it like?"

"Like? Well, it wasn't really like anything in particular, that sort of feeling, kind of a category all its own," My eyes flitted around our surroundings as I struggled to sort through the thoughts passing through my mind, "But uh, I suppose you want specifics, right? His name was Rangi, or at least, that's what I called him. His full name was Gimle Rangi-Eguskine-Ezter Dauntless.

Susan gaped slightly. "That's quite the mouthful."

"Most Lyall names are," I replied simply, "Anyways, I met him through rather less than romantic circumstances. He was one of the lead Generals in the Royal Army, as a Dauntless, this was his calling. He fought alongside my family during the Imperial Wars against the Daleks. I suppose it's rather fitting I'm thinking of him now."

I trailed off, my voice breaking slightly as I'm nearly overwhelmed, "The thing is, he knew. After the war ended, and the remainder of my people fled to the Wastes, Rangi told me he knew what I'd-that I'd left my people to the Daleks when I was supposed to protect them. He told me-he made a promise that he would make me stronger, a better warrior, a better Queen."

"He taught you how to fight," Susan surmised.

"He taught me a lot of things: most importantly not to be afraid. I owe him a lot. He was remarkable, never giving up, even in the most impossible of circumstances; he was relentless, truly living up to the Dauntless lineage."

"Sounds like you really loved him."

I nodded, pausing to take a deep breath. "Yeah, I did. We were actually going to get married before all that mess with Renaissance and the God Project."

"Was he a part of it too?"

I shook my head. "Thankfully no. I left him in charge of our people while the Eternals went to the program. I suppose he was lead astray by the traitor influenced by the Daleks and burned with the rest of the Lyall. I can't imagine Rangi would have gone without a fight, but at the same time, he was always so astutely loyal, so loyal and so kind."

Susan placed her hand over my own. "I'm sorry."

I smiled weakly. "Yeah, me too."

"The thing is, Terna," Susan continued, "How did you-How did you know?"

"What do you mean?"

"How did you know you loved Rangi?"

"I-I don't really know," I stammered, "One can't really measure love or calculate it in any sense. I suppose though that one day, just one completely random day, you look at a person and suddenly they're all you want in the universe, all you need and all you desire. They become a part of you, a part that will never leave."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Susan looked thoughtful.

I looked at her intently. "Susan, if this is about David-"

However, I was interrupted again when the Doctor and Tyler suddenly came back up the hill.  
"Whatever's cooking up here smells delicious, you too," the former said to us.

"Right! Who's hungry?" I said a little too loudly, jumping to my feet, "Where's David with those peanuts?"

"Walnuts," Susan corrected.

"Whatever."

As if on cue, David reappeared with his pack bulging with said nuts. "Good. Now we can eat."

Tyler sat down on the rock slab and leaned forward, inspecting the pot sizzling over the fire.  
"What is that?"

"That's rabbit," David replied.

"It's pretty primitive," Susan explained, "It's the best I could do though."

"It look delicious," the Doctor assured her.

Eagerly, David grabbed at the pot handle and not surprisingly burned himself. "Hot!" He jerked his hand away.

Tyler chucked before wrapping his sleeve around his hand to pick up the saucepan and sample the meal.

He nodded his approval before passing the pot over to David, who tentatively took it in his now covered hand.  
"Doctor, would you like some? Smells delicious."

"Susan's a very good cook," the Time Lord replied as he ladled his own helping into a portable bowl.

"Yes. Tell me, Doctor."

"Hmm?" The Doctor paused, his spoon halfway to his mouth.

"Now that you've seen the Dalek base, what do you think?"

"Well it's quite obvious to me it's the center of their operations."

"Center?" Susan and David said in unison.

"Yes, quite. I would think that'd be obvious."

"I agree," I added, "Tyler, why exactly didn't you concentrate your efforts here?"

"We've been fighting the Daleks everywhere. The fact that they started mining operations here didn't seem all that important."

"Yeah, well, we assumed that they were just digging for minerals, you know?" David added,  
"Something they could use to make weapons."

The Doctor shook his head. "No, I think perhaps it might be the answer to the question as to why the Daleks are here."

"But why, Doctor?" David asked, "Surely they've invaded us?"

"Oh sure, they've definitely done that," I declared, "But for what purpose is what the Doctor is trying to get at."

"Precisely, my dear," the Doctor commended, "Yes, I believe this all goes much deeper than that. You see, to them, this is just a work machine: an insignificant specimen that is not worth invading, absolutely useless. It doesn't matter to them whether you live or die."

"Yeah, that's true enough," David admitted.

"Well, what are they digging for then?" David asked.

"At the moment, my boy, I'm not quite sure," the Doctor confessed, "But I do know that it's something that this planet contains, something that no other planet has."

"And you think if it was something on the surface, they'd have just collected it and gone?" Tyler inferred.

"Yes, quite, quite. Instead, there they are, burrowing like moles down and through the crust of the Earth."

"But isn't that impossible? I mean, without causing an eruption, a huge earthquake no one could survive."

I pursed my lips, a thought occurring to me. "Not unless they know how to control the flow of living energy."

David raised an eyebrow. "Is that what it is? They dare to tamper with the forces of creation?

The Doctor nodded gravely, "Yes, they dare, and we have got to dare to stop them."

"Grandfather?"

"Hmm?"

"The food's getting cold."

()()()

After dinner, the Doctor, Tyler were standing on the edge of cliff looking out over the Dalek base as the shadows stretched longer and longer over their surface of the ship.  
I, meanwhile, was scanning the precipice through David's binoculars in search of a way down.

Tyler pointed down into the valley. "Have you ever seen anything like that mine, Doctor?"

"I certainly have not."

"Doctor, there seems to be a way down there," I said to him.

"Ah, good!"

Tyler shook his head. "I still say its madness."

The Doctor ignored him. "Yes, well, let's have a closer look. Mind if I see those, Terna?"

I passed him the binoculars just as David came up behind us.

"Well, Doctor?"

The Doctor looked to him over his shoulder. "How many bombs have you got left?"

David rifled through his pack. "Uh, I've got three, I think."

"Yes, well that should be enough." The Doctor gave David his binoculars, "Now, you see that mast over there?

David squinted through them. "Yes."

"And the cable behind it?"

"Yes."

"Well, I want you and Susan to walk around the lip of the crater and sever it. Use the bombs. Detonate with your revolver, alright?"

David nodded astutely, lowering the binoculars. "Right, Doctor."

"Off you go," the Doctor urged David, Susan as well. She squeezed my hand in silent goodbye before hurrying after David down the slope. "And don't stop to pick daises on the way! I don't think they'll run into any trouble," the Doctor added to me.

I rolled my eyes. "Past experience says otherwise."

The Doctor scowled. "You're always so comforting."

"And what about us?" Tyler inquired.

The Doctor smirked, "That'll be harder to guarantee. Now, come along. Get down."

()()()

Night had fallen completely by the time we arrived in the center of the valley.  
Daleks swarmed the base; lighting systems attached to their eye-stocks cut sharp beams of blinding light across the valley's surface.  
The Doctor, Tyler, and I raced through the darkness, clinging to the shadows of the mining buildings until we came to a side entrance along the back wall of the saucer.  
The Doctor stepped up to the keypad and punched a few buttons, seemingly able to still see what he was doing despite the heavy darkness.

"Now, I've neutralized the warning system," he declared after a few moments, and the door slid open.

I looked at Tyler. "Lock picking for dummies."

The Doctor grinned at Tyler's stupefied expression. "Shall we go in?"

"I'll say one thing, Doc: life's never dull with you around."

I snorted. "Oh you have _no _idea."

"Thank you, Tyler, but don't call me Doc, I prefer Doctor. Do you mind?"

With that, he stepped through the door into the gleaming, metallic hallway, Tyler and I close behind him.

We made our way down the long, twisting hallways: all identical and with seemingly no pattern. However, due to the amount of assaults against Dalek bases Tyler had taken part in, he seemed to have a generalized idea of the layout.  
We made our way to the Control Center of the mother-ship: a colossal white room shaped like a dome with curved walls all lined with computers and screens.

Two Daleks stood in the middle of the room: one black and one regular.  
The pawn Dalek swung away from one of the large computers and turned towards its superior.

"The. Work. On. The. Capsule. Is. Complete. The. Device. Is. Ready."

"Good," the Black Dalek replied, "We. Shall. Have. One. Hour. To. Leave. When. The. Device. Is. Fired. Am. Firing. Now."

Beyond the Dalek, a gigantic computer screen depicted a vertical chute with a coffin-sized device steadily sliding down it.  
"The. Explosive. Device. Is. On. Its. Way. To. The. Center. Of. The. Earth," the Black Dalek continued, "We. Shall. Go. The. Edge. Of. The. Mine. Workings. And. Be. Picked. Up. By. The. Saucers."

It then turned and trundled towards the door; the Doctor, Tyler and I quickly jumped behind a computer so as to avoid detection.

"That was a close one," Tyler gasped after it'd past.

"Apparently things are on the move," the Doctor remarked. He glanced at me, "Terna, you're shaking."

I licked my dry lips. "I'm fine."

The Doctor took my hand.

After a moment, the other Dalek left as well, allowing us to fully enter the control center. When we did, a shocking sight met our eyes: Barbara and another human woman bolted to the wall in the corner with magnetized cuffs.

"Barbara!" I gasped, rushing over to her in utter disbelief.

"Oh, my dear," the Doctor mirrored my surprise.

"Doctor! Terna!"

"The magnet! The magnet, Tyler, quickly!" the Doctor urged him.

Tyler grabbed a lever on the computer, and the women's cuffs came undone.

Barbara staggered away from them, gasping with relief.

I held her arms to steady her, eventually pulling her into a hug.  
"Is Ian with you?"

"No, but I did see him working in the mines. That's where the Daleks brought Jenny and me after they raided the shelter," she gestured to the other woman, who was in a big black coat and had messy brown hair pulled into a ponytail. "Ian said he was captured at the saucer."

"Yes, well, right now we must begin our action before the Daleks get back," the Doctor declared.

Barbara shook her head. "I don't think they will be coming back; they activated one of their bombs. They intend to blow a hole through the center of the Earth."

The Doctor's eyes widened in shock. "But why?"

"They're trying to pilot the Earth right out of its orbit," Jenny explained, "The bomb's due to go off in half an hour's time."

"Well, we must prevent this, Barbara," the Doctor exclaimed, "If they succeed, they'll upset the entire solar system. We've got to prevent it!"

"But how?"

"By keeping the Daleks here. Keep your eyes skinned on the door."

"Peeled," I corrected.

The Doctor looked at me in confusion, "Peel what? Grapes?"

I shook my head. "Never mind. Tyler, keep watch."

"All right." The human man nodded, moving over to stand by the door.

"Now, I wonder," the Doctor tapped his chin thoughtfully as he walked over to one of the computer screens, "Can I do anything with this scanner?"

Barbara came up behind him. "There's Susan!" she pointed over his shoulder at the slightly fuzzy image of Susan and David clambering over the cable.

"Oh yes! Susan and David; they're trying to fracture the outer cable ring."

"Well what will that do?" Jenny asked.

"If it's possible, you see, we might be able to immobilize the Daleks," the Doctor explained.

The sound of a Dalek wheeling down the hallway made all of us jump.

"Scanner. Frequencies. Have. Been. Changed. In. Central. Control."

"The. Prisoners. Must. Have. Escaped! Deal. With. Them." I recognized the second voice as the Black Dalek.

"The radio circuit's still working," the Doctor exclaimed, watching Susan and David lay out the pads.

I gritted my teeth. "Hurry, Susan, hurry!"

"There's nothing we can do, my dear. Just watch and wait. We can't contact them from here."

"Two. Zero. Reporting," the Dalek was getting closer.

"A Dalek's coming," Tyler called.

_Thanks for that, Captain Obvious._

"We. Will. Exterminate. Them. At. Zero. Range."

"It's nearly here."

I ignored him this time, not taking my eyes off the scanner.  
Not a second later, David and Susan detonated the bombs; the whole scanner lit up in flames.

The Dalek came around the corner; it froze on the doorway. "Thermostat. Reading. Too. High! Heat. Increase." It's body shook violently, "Intolerable! Heat. Increase. Complete! Power. Loss. Complete! Argh!" It screamed, steaming rising up from the crevices in its casing until it finally fell silent.

Tyler slowly approached the Dalek and gingerly kicked it. "You took a chance," he said to the Doctor.

"A chance? Yes, but it worked."

"For now," I added.

"Can you stop the bomb, Doctor?" Barbara asked him.

"Not now, Barbara. We don't know how long this little trick of ours will hold the Daleks. We may have to find something else."

"Well, look," Barbara pointed across the room to another computer and scanner system, "That thing over there controls the Robo-Man. We discovered that earlier. Uh, maybe we could give it new orders?"

The Doctor's face lit up. "Yes! That's brilliant, my dear! Good." He crossed the room over to the computer and examined it closely.

I cocked my head to the side, examining the device keenly as I came up behind him.  
The computer was massive, about the size of two refrigerators. It was all buttons and knobs, humming softly with dozens of wires sticking out of the sides and top, snaking through the floor and along the ceiling. The scanner above the computer depicted a series of tunnels, constantly flashing to different areas of the mine: Robo-Men lumbering along stiffly around bent and decrepit works with the occasional Dalek rolling along the pathways.  
The system looked familiar.  
"I think I've seen this sort of system before," I finally said. "The Daleks enslaved another humanoid race during the Imperial Wars and used this to give them orders."

"Do you know how it works?" Barbara asked me.

I nodded. "Yes, it's very sensitive though; it only responds to precise Dalek inflection."

The Doctor looked disappointed, whatever idea he may have been thinking of no longer seemed viable. "Which is something that we would be unable to replicate."

I tapped my chin thoughtfully. "Not necessarily, I've spent quite some time around Daleks; I might be able to pull it off."

The Doctor arched an eyebrow. "Do you think so?"

I smiled grimly. "Believe me, Doctor, I've spent many a night with those voices in my head. I'll have it down perfectly."

Barbara nodded in agreement, "Alright then. But what will happen if your voice is off?"

I shook my head. "Best if you don't know." I then stepped up to the computer where, below the scanner, there was a small microphone. I leaned into the microphone and tapped two fingers against my throat, "Robo-Man. This. Is. Your. Last. Order. Obey. It. And. No. Other. Turn. On. The. Daleks. Turn. On. The. Daleks. Kill. The. Daleks. Do. You. Hear?"

The inflection was spot on, and I knew that because we didn't blow up.

I turned away from the computer after noting the message had registered to see the Doctor and Barbara gawking at me.

"That was spooky," the former mused.

"Yes, but do you suppose it worked?" the latter inquired.

A sudden shout rang up from the scanner screen; we all turned to see that every scene flashing across the scanner had erupted into chaos: the Daleks were rolling about screeching and firing madly while the Robo-Men blasted at their casings and knocked them to the ground.  
The now freed prisoners jump to their aid, tipping the Daleks over so the Robo-Men now have a non-moving target.

The sounds of battle weren't just on the screen; they were rising up from the ground below our feet. The sounds drew closer: as the Dalek screeches dulled to a quiet, the frantic footsteps thundering down the hall grew louder.

We all turned toward the door to see a group of men rush in; four of them grabbed the lifeless Dalek still resting in the doorway. As they slowly dragged it away, the fifth man sidled into the room.  
He stopped in the doorway, his eyebrows shot up into his hairline when he caught sight of us.  
I'd imagine my expression was probably similar once I recognized him, despite the soot and dirt from the mine covering his face.

"Barbara!" Ian raced across the room, arms open.

"Ian!"

They hugged.

Then he saw us.

"Doctor!" Ian smiled in relief as did the Doctor, who's grinning from ear to ear.

"My dear boy, where did you spring from?"

"Well, I was trying to get out of the mine and suddenly the Robo-Man turned on the Daleks!" Ian explained.

"That was Terna's doing. She was marvelous."

Ian turned to me. I smiled: so relieved as I reached up to hug him.  
"Oh, Ian, I'm glad to see you're alright. I'm so sorry; I shouldn't have left you on the saucer."

"Don't worry about it," Ian assured me, "You were worried about the Doctor. I understand."

"And it all worked out in the end," the Doctor added, "The people are fighting back at last!"

On the scanner screen, the people and Robo-Man were running out of the mine entrance as smoke and fire spilled out of the doorway.

Ian grabbed the Doctor's arm, a thought seemingly occurring to him, "Doctor, I don't know if you know this but the Daleks have a bomb."

"Yes, yes, there is still that, isn't there? Where is it, hmm?"

"Down a shaft. After I escaped the mines, I managed to jam it about halfway down."  
He goes over to another computer and pointed at the screen: the one that depicted the vertical chute with the white device lodged inside it.

"That must be where I jammed it, so that must be where it will explode."

"But look, it's going to go off in ten minutes time," Barbara exclaimed, her eyes frantic as she pointed at a timer beside the scanner.

"Is it close enough to the core to do any damage, Doctor?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "No, I don't think the device will succeed in that position. But still, it will be a gigantic explosion."

"Then we ought to get as many people out of this area as we possibly can," Tyler cried.

"Yes, I quite agree."

With that, the Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Jenny, Tyler, and me all hurry out into the hallway, the sounds of the battles raging in the minds still echoing around us.

"We'll be safe outside the valley," Jenny declared.

"We'll meet at the cliff we were at before," the Doctor explained, "Now hurry up, all of you."

()()()

We wasted no time getting out of the mother-ship, tearing through the dark valley along with all the escaped human prisoners and malfunctioning Robo-Men.  
We met up with Susan and David on the cliff side.  
The moonlight glinted on the silvery exterior of the saucers all nestled below us: now that the Daleks were all incapacitated and their prisoners fleeing to safety into the wilderness, the image was almost serene.

I stood on the precipice, hugging my leather coat tighter around myself so as to escape the nightly chill.

The Doctor stood beside me, "The explosion will take place any second," he proclaimed before grabbing my arm and pulling me down behind the cover of some scrub-brush with the others, "Keep down, all of you!"

Not a second later, the world erupted. The air exploded with pressure and heat; it collided with my body in a deafening force that nearly knocked me off my feet. My eyes blotched out as the intensity of the fire blinded my vision.  
The saucers crumbled as the ground gave way, shattering like ceramic plates as the hungry magma earth swallowed them whole, clawing desperately onto the surface in showers of heat and light. As the explosion rang in our eyes, an ashy mushroom cloud ascended from the wreckage.

"The saucers were caught in the upward thrust of that explosion," the Doctor observed.

"Do you think any Daleks escaped?" Jenny asked him.

I shook my head. "Nope. The Dalek casings are strong, but that explosion was practically nuclear. There won't be any coming back from that."

The Doctor grinned. "There's something new for you, Tyler: a volcanic eruption in England."

"This Earth is certainly a weird planet," I mused.

The Doctor chuckled. "Yes, it is isn't it?" He threw his arm around my shoulder, laughing, and I couldn't help but laugh too.

Tyler stood beside us, mouth open in awe.

"It's unbelievable."

"Yes, it's unbelievable," the Doctor agreed.

"And it's over," Jenny added.

I nod reassuredly. "Yes, it is."

()()()

It took us most of the night to get back to London from the Bedfordshire mines. The following morning, Tyler, David, several other people including Ian's companion from the minds Wells helped us clear the rest of the rubble from the TARDIS.

By the time the grey sunlight had stretched through the crumbling buildings, the last of the rubble had been cleared away.  
Tyler stood beside the Doctor and me; he surveyed the wreckage being cleared from the police box then cast a weary glance around the destroyed city.  
"Well, at least the firebombs didn't destroy everything. Pity Dortmun couldn't be here. Dortmun and people like him."

"Yes, and it's to them that you must dedicate your next task," the Doctor declared, clapping him on the shoulder, "The rebuilding of the Earth. And I'm sure you're going to make a great success of it."

Tyler looked to him in surprise. "You sound as if you're leaving."

The Doctor was spared a response when the distant feeble chimes of the Westminster filled the air.

"Listen," Tyler whispered, mesmerized by that simple noise yet beautiful that he thought he'd never hear again.

The Doctor smiled, "Just the beginning."

"What are your plans, David?" Ian asked him as they approached us with Barbara and Susan.

"Me? Oh, I'll join a group that works the land. More than anything, I want to see things grow again," David smiled, warmed by the thought, "I want to be a part of it."

Ian nodded in acknowledgement. "It's a nice idea. Do you come from the country?"

"Yes. My family have always been associated with the land."

"Oh, uh, where do they live?"

David laughed, "Well, they live a long way from here."

I might have suspected he wasn't a city kid; the boy could catch fish like any old country bumpkin.

Smiling fondly, I approached him, taking his hand and squeezing it. "Thanks so much for everything, David. You too Tyler, we never would have made it out alive if it hadn't been for you."

I turned from David, who nodded in response, and grasped his hand firmly.  
Despite his initial reservations, the human man smiled down at me, "You're welcome. Well, I can't stand here talking all day. See me before you go, David."

"I will Tyler. I will." The two shook hands.

"Goodbye, Tyler," Susan called as he gave us all one more half-hearted wave and then walked off.

"Goodbye," Susan said again, too quiet for him to hear her. I looked at her to see she had an oddly sad look on her face as though she was saying goodbye to an old friend and not someone she'd just met a few hours ago and would probably never see again.

"Susan?"

"Yes, David?" Susan asked, blinking rapidly as though he'd just jerked her from some deep musings.

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure."

David then took Susan's hand and led her a short distance away, sitting down on a log by the TARDIS where they could talk without being overheard. I watched them as the Doctor came up beside me.

"Now what do you suppose that's about, hmm?"

"Well, uh," I scanned my surroundings, unsure of what to say, "I mean Susan and David do seem to be rather fond of each other."

"Yes, I suppose so."

"And they do work well together."

"Indeed they do."

"Terna, do you know something we don't?" Barbara inquired.

"I don't know…I guess, maybe," I trailed off as I looked back over at Susan and David sitting side by side with their heads close together. Whatever it was they were taking about, it looked to be very important. They seemed to be holding hands without even realizing.

I flexed my own almost absentmindedly, a faint memory drifting through the front of my mind.

"So, uh, perhaps we should go into the TARDIS, Doctor," Ian offered.

"Oh yes, I quite agree, young man," the Doctor replied distractedly, "I quite agree. I need to make sure nothing was internally damaged. Come along."

Fumbling for his key, the Time Lord headed to his time machine with Ian and Barbara close behind. I made to follow when I saw David get up from the log; he cast me a glance and I could see there was a rather distressed look in his eyes; said emotion seemed to cover something even deeper, something that made me pause.

I looked over to Susan to see she was still sitting on the log, crying.  
I quickly made my way over to her. As I sat down beside the young Time Lady, she hastily began wiping her eyes.  
"Susan, are you alright?"

"Uh, yes, I…I was thinking about home."

"What, Gallifrey?"

"No, the concept of home: they say it's 'where the hearts are' that one can make a home out of anything, anywhere, or anybody, but what happens when your hearts are in two different places at once? Which do you call home?"

I was momentarily taken aback by her question "I-I suppose whichever one you need the most," I finally said.

Susan nodded, her eyes still slightly misted. "I guess you're right. Ow!" She suddenly grabbed at her foot.

"What's wrong? Is your ankle acting up again?"

"No. It's just my shoe," she replied, tugging it off, "It's worn through."

"All that running I guess," I inferred, "But it's not that big of a deal. We have hundreds of shoes in the TARDIS wardrobe."

"Yes, I…" Susan trailed off before suddenly grabbing my arm and looking me with such intense earnest in her eyes that was legitimately startled. "Terna, I want you to promise me something!"

"Susan, what-what are you doing?"

"Please," Susan's grip tightened on my arm, more tears pooling in her eyes, "I need you to promise me that if anything were to happen to me, you'll take care of my grandfather. Please promise me that."

I was at a loss for words. "Susan I-"

"Promise me!"

"Alright, I promise, but Susan, you're freaking me out. What's brought this on?"

Susan doesn't answer my question; instead, she lets go of my arm and sporadically throws her arms around my waist. "Oh, I love you, Terna."

I was thoroughly surprised by this whole display; however, in that single moment, in hearing that single sentence, only one response came to mind, a response I never thought I'd have.  
"I-I love you too, Susan," I whispered to her as the young Time Lady buried her face in my jacket, tears streaming down her face. I gripped her tightly, trailing her fingers through her soft, black hair, "You know I do, but I-."

At that moment, the Doctor walked back out of the TARDIS.  
"Come along, you two; don't dawdle. The TARDIS is in perfect working order. What's keeping you?"

Susan let go of me, wiping her nose heavily on her sleeve. "My shoe broke."

"Oh, dear."

"It must have been that journey back from the mine," I added.

"Dear, dear, dear," the Doctor exclaimed as he took the broken sneaker from her and examined it, "I shall have to mend this, shan't I now?"

"Oh, don't worry, Grandfather."

"Oh, no, no, worry, my child, no," the Doctor asserted, smiling reassuringly, "When I've finished with this, it will look as good as new."

"Really, it's not worth it," Susan insisted, "I've got dozens of other pairs."

"Yes. Hmm," the Doctor looked somewhat distracted; his eyes momentarily wandered over to David. It appeared I wasn't the only one that had taken note of their exchange.

Suddenly, an awful feeling washed over me; it was like that instant notion one gets when they know they are going to be in pain, but it wasn't a reflexive feeling; rather, it was a long, slow, drawn out realization.  
As I sat there beside Susan, overwhelmed with the sudden urge to hug her again, hug her tightly and never let it go, I found it was becoming difficult to breath.

"I'd better clear out my cupboard," she continued, "It's in a dreadful muddle."

The Doctor laughed, but it was without humor. "Yes, you know, since you've been away from that school, you seem to have got yourself thoroughly disorganized, haven't you? Yes, you need taking in hand. Perhaps Terna, can help you with that. Come along."

"Won't be long," Susan declared before rising to her feet and striding over to David, who opened his arms for her to run into them, burying her face in his chest the same way she'd done with me a mere moment ago.

The Doctor watched them for a minute longer before turning away.  
"Terna, come on."

"But, Doctor-" I started, but he grabbed my hand.

"Come on."

"Let go of my hand," I struggled, digging my heels into the dirt, but the Doctor's stronger then he looked as he pulled me towards the TARDIS. "What are you doing? Doctor!"

The Doctor ignored me as he dragged me into the TARDIS and closed the doors.

"Grandfather!" Outside the ship, I could hear Susan cry out. I whirled around to see that she hadn't followed us and the doors had closed, locking her out.  
I stared in utter horror. Whirling around to see the Doctor calmly operating the console controls.

"Listen, Susan, please," he said into a microphone, "I've double-locked the doors. You can't get in. "

"Doctor, what are you doing?" I cried, rushing over to him while Ian and Barbara looked on in bemusement  
The Doctor ignored all of us, "Now move back, child, where I can see you."

I looked up onto the scanner to see Susan step back so that she is now in the view of the scanner screen. I can also see David looking on from a few feet away.

Beside me, the Doctor sighed, straightening up. He took a deep breath before he continued, "During all the years, I've been taking care of you, you in return have been taking care of me."

"Oh, Grandfather, I belong with you!" Susan cried, fresh tears brimming in her eyes.

"Not any longer, Susan," the Doctor replied sadly, shaking his head as he grasped the lapels of his coat in that way he did, "You're still my grandchild and always will be, but now, you're a woman too.

I want you to belong somewhere, to have roots of your own. With David, you'll be able to find those roots and live normally like any woman should do."

I couldn't believe this. Was the Doctor doing what I thought he was doing?  
_No…No he can't._

"Believe me, my dear, your future lies with David, and not with a silly old buffer like me," the Doctor smiled sadly, his own eyes misting somewhat. He took a deep breath before continuing, "One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs, and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine." He dropped his eyes. Were they brimming with tears? "Goodbye, Susan, goodbye, my dear," he said as he pulled the lever on the console, and the TARDIS began taking off.  
The scanner went dark, blocking out Susan's face, and the rotor started moving.

I was in shock, but that didn't prevent me from realizing what was going on.  
"What are you doing? Go back!" I cried, lunging forward and trying to pry the flight controls form the Doctor's grasp, "Go back and get her! You can't do this; you can't leave here there. Go back!"

"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't," the Doctor cried, straining somewhat as he wrestled with me over the lever, "Don't touch the controls."

He knocked my hands aside and I staggered back, looking at him with an expression of complete and utter horror. "How...How could you do that?" I whispered, "She was your granddaughter? How could you abandon here like that?"

The Doctor just looked at me; those strange blue eyes staring at me with such a confusing mess of emotions I couldn't possibly hope to read. "Try to understand, Terna. I didn't want to do it, but it needed to happen. Susan is not a child anymore; she needs to find her own place in the world and she became attached to that time and that planet and to that man, David. She can do good there; she's found where she belongs."

"She belonged with us," I cried, my voice breaking off at the end; there are hot tears spilling from my eyes and running down my checks before I'd even registered them.

The Doctor looked at me, shocked. "Terna!"

I said nothing more; I'm too angry, too in pain. Without another word, I spun on my heel and ran down through the trapdoor that lead to my bedroom under the Console Room.  
I burst into the familiar blue walls with the white plush carpet. The flames in the fire are a deep blue but the familiar shades flickering across the space don't provide any comfort.  
I throw myself onto my bed, burying my face in the warm, plush comforter and start sobbing loudly, harshly, painfully, it's like every breath I take ripped a part of my soul.  
I hadn't felt this pain in a long time, not since the moment I'd learned the truth of the fate of my people and my family. That had been at the beginning, the beginning of this new life; it might not have been that long ago really, but it felt like so much had changed.  
The Doctor had been right, Susan had been right: I had changed, I'd grown to care, not just about myself but about the Doctor, about Ian and Barbara, the tiny humans who traveled with us. And I'd grown to care about Susan, as if she were my own child, and just at that moment, just at moment when I'd dared to care, when I'd dared to love, it had been taken from me.

I fisted my fingers through the thick blanket and howled into my pillow in pure misery.

I barely heard the sound of the trap door opening or the footsteps on the stairs.  
I slowly raised my head, my face raw and sticky with tears just as Barbara appeared in the doorway.

"Terna, can I come in?"

"Sure," I mumbled bitterly, "Why not?"

The human woman cautiously moved into the room and approached my bed.  
"Terna, are you alright?"

"Do I _look_ alright?" I snapped, turning from her as I furiously wiped my eyes, "Damn, I'd hoped you'd never see me like this."

"It's alright to be upset," Barbara assured me, and I felt the bed move somewhat as an indication she'd sat down beside me, "We all cared about Susan, and we'll all miss her terribly."

I ground my teeth, my hand curling into fists as I pounded on forcefully into my pillow.  
"I don't understand why the Doctor would _do_ that! Why would he let her go like that? She's his family; the only one he has. My family's gone; I don't have the luxury of leaving them behind like that. If I still had my parents, my sisters, or my brothers; I'd never let them go!" I slammed my hand repeatedly into the pillow, punctuating each phrase, each exclamation of fury and grief as I struggled desperately to understand.

"Terna, forgive me, I know you're upset," Barbara spoke cautiously, "But isn't that a little selfish?"

I whirled on her, not angry but surprised, "What do you mean?"

"Well, you heard the Doctor say so himself," Barbara tentatively replied, "He didn't want to do what he did, but he knew that Susan could never be happy in the TARDIS after her experiences on Earth with David." Barbara paused to place a hand on my shoulder, the other reached up to gently wipe a lingering tear from my cheek. "If you really love someone, you appreciate what they need and want in life and decide what's best for them rather then for yourself."

I looked at her. Barbara, the woman of Earth, who was a mouse beside a lion, her life a millisecond of my own and yet there was such wisdom in this perpetually young eyes, such strength, such courage. I might not have noticed it all this time, but it had always been there.  
After a moment, I slowly uncurled my hands as realization descended on me not unlike a weight.  
"I...I suppose you're right."

Barbara smiled sadly. "I know it's hard."

I bit my lip as more tears threatened to fall. I couldn't stop thinking about Susan's own tearful expression on the scanner screen like it was burned against my vision. Was that to be the last image I will ever have of her?  
"Oh, Barbara, I'm going to miss her terribly," I exclaimed, forgetting myself, forgetting the Queen in that moment of weakness and grief, in that moment, I think I showed my age, still young despite all the billions of years I've been alive.

Barbara nodded in understanding, "So am I."

I then threw my arms around her shoulders, hugging her tightly as she returned it. We sat like that for a long moment, not moving, not speaking.

After a time, I pulled away, looking Barbara intently in the eye.  
"Do you think she's going to be happy on Earth?"

Barbara smiled reassuringly. "Somehow I know she will."

I slowly nodded, dabbing at my eyes. Silently, I then got up from the bed and yanked my already coming undone hair from its twist. The pearls fell into my fingers, and I quickly closed my hand around them, keeping them close.  
I crossed the room over to a shelf in the corner. Slowly, meaningfully, I dropped the pearls into a silver dish upon the shelf where they came to rest, gleaming in the firelight like tiny, frozen tears.

* * *

A/N: Quite the sad ending here; the first companion goodbye is a milestone not only for the series canon but also in Terna's own personal development, not to mention the fact that Terna had made a promise to Susan, the first mortal being that she has admitted to loving, that she will take care of her grandfather, a promise Terna obviously keeps but as much for herself as for Susan.  
It really is a shame that Susan wasn't around longer as I not only think her character and her relationship with the Doctor is very interesting but I really love the idea of here being present a little further down the road when the Doctor and Terna do finally fall in love, and they'd be their own little family unit. It's something that Susan probably wanted even in she didn't realize that and it's a shame she would never get to see her lonely grandfather find someone (well, maybe ;)). Anyways, I hope you enjoyed; I've been looking forward to this chapter for a long time and I hope you tell me what you thought :)

Next Week: The Rescue


	17. The Rescue

A/N: I have decided to begin responding to reviews from previous chapters at the beginning of each chapter in case other viewers have similar thoughts/questions they'd like my opinion on.

* * *

From: Rosesroses25 (Chapter 16)  
Q: This was an enjoyable chapter! The ending may have been sad, but that promises and Mende joy in the future.  
A: Yes, it was a lot of fun to write too. I'm glad you enjoyed, and yes you are correct: Terna and the Doctor have a lot of fun times ahead of them.

From: sophiewhettingsteel  
Q: Will I be able to follow this story if I haven't watched classic who?  
A: Yes, I do think you will. I often read the stories I write to family members who haven't seen the shows they're for, so I often write for an uninformed as well as informed audience, so I'm sure you'll be able to follow it.

* * *

Chapter 17: The Rescue

* * *

_The memories came and went like people rushing past me on a crowded street._

_Every so often one paused to meet my eye, and I was able to look upon it and recognize._

_I saw, and I remembered._

_I was sitting in the main lobby of the Renaissance Research center, 133 years younger. My yellow hair was just starting to thin at the top, and my face looked waxy in the polished floor under the fluorescent lighting._

_As I sat and waited, I recalled my first time I'd taken a seat in one of those hard plastic chairs: I was thirteen, my hair was a mess and I had a black eye and a busted lip from a fight I'd gotten into in the Academy Recreation Yard._

_Some upper-house prat had made a flip comment about my mother. I wasn't much of a fighter; Koschei was the one that ended up hitting first, and I just got dragged into it. Not that I wasn't furious at the remark._

_Regardless, when one of my teachers, Borusa, had caught me and hauled me off, I was certain I'd get his Venusian Stick. I'd hated that thing; it stung like electric wire and left you feeling nauseous for hours._

_Good incentive to stay in line, I'll give him that much._

_However, instead of taking me to his office where the rod sat waiting, Borusa had escorted me here to Renaissance. He'd sat me down and then headed off to get the project director._

_I had sat and waited until my legs went numb under me, furiously tapping my bruised fingers against my thighs, trying to quell my agitation. Finally, Borusa had returned with the head of the project: a balding man with tufts of bluish hair just behind his large ears. He looked like an elephant._

_He stood there, looking me up and down for a long while. I scowled at him, not at all pleased at being scrutinized like some specimen in a glass vial. I'd gotten enough of that when I'd first turned up at the Academy._

_After what felt like forever, the Director finally spoke. He asked me if I was happy at the Academy._

_I wasn't about to lie. Of course I wasn't happy. How could I be happy anywhere on this planet with people knowing what I was the second they looked at me?_

_It was the eyes. These damn eyes; I hate them. They always give me away._

_The Director seemed to note my discontent, even though I hadn't uttered a word, and he asked me if I'd like a place where I could go to and get away from the Academy. This piqued my interest, and I tried not to look at Borusa's smug face beside the Director as the man explained that Renaissance was a special program for 'unique' Gallifreyans._

_It was a training program of sorts that sent Time Lord novices out on assignments gathering information and the like. All for the purpose of comparing their skills to the 'common kind' as the Director put it._

_So I was being studied like a rat in a maze. I stifled a gag at the thought._

_After the Director had finished his spiel, he asked me if I wanted to join Renaissance._

_I looked a Borusa, pointedly glaring at me over the other man's shoulder._

_I then turned back to the Director._  
_"No thanks." I calmly replied._

_The Director's face fell, only increasing my desire to decline his offer. He wanted me; he wanted to study me._

_"Perhaps you should reconsider your answer, Theta," Borusa called to me, "The Director failed to mention exactly what the Renaissance projects actually entailed. You would be sent out on research assignments not on Gallifrey, but other worlds all throughout the universe._  
_I had tried to hide my surprise, but hadn't done a very good job as Borusa's smile widened, "You would be able to leave this planet and go and see other places. Now, what do you think of that?"_

_I dropped my eyes; there had never been anything that I had wanted more in my life then leave Gallifrey and see what it was like on other worlds, in other times. I had realized long ago that I would never a home on my planet, that endeavor would have to be fulfilled elsewhere._  
_But I'd never had the opportunity, until now._

_Wordlessly, I stood up to face the Director and Borusa; I slowly nodded my head._  
_The Director's face broke into a grin, his beady little eyes gleaming._

_He then stepped forward and held out his hand to me: "Welcome to Renaissance."_

_That had been a long time ago, of course, and I'd long since graduated from the Academy, although my allegiance to Renaissance had not changed; I'd still gone on assignments, at first with Koschei or the Master as he was now called, after he'd been drafted into the program as well, but we'd had a falling out recently and now I needed a new partner to travel with, someone to document my exploits and investigations._

_I was jerked out of my thoughts when the Director, having Regenerated since the first time I'd seen him and now a woman with chin-length blonde hair, entered the room._

_I hastily got to my feet, curious as to who exactly it was I was being reassigned to._  
_I was more than a little floored when I saw that the Director was leading along a little girl with wide grey eyes and tousled light brown hair that was swept up into a pile of braids as the top of her head with a few strands hanging around her face._

_Our eyes met, and she instantly shrank back to cower behind the Director's leg; she looked no older than nine or ten, barely Academy age._

_I stared at the Director, who was tenderly stroking the girl's head in an attempt to soothe her._  
_"What is this?"_

_The Director looked at me, surprised. "What do you mean?"_

_I pointed at the little girl, who cowered still further, "I mean that!" What is that?"_

_"I would think the answer to that question was obvious," the Director replied simply, gently pulling the little girl out from behind her leg, "Doctor, this is Arkytior Larn; one of our newest members that was brought to us from an orphan's home in the Outer Lands." The Director cocked her head to the side thoughtfully, "The same one you came from as a matter of fact."_

_I shifted uncomfortably, glancing down at the little girl who was staring up at me with those huge eyes. I grimaced. "This was supposed to be an intellectual mission, not a babysitting job. I was promised someone of scientific merit, not a toddler."_

_"I'm not a toddler."_

_My eyes widened as I looked at the girl, Arkytior, as that had been the first time she'd spoken. She immediately dropped her eyes, staring intently at her feet, "I'm not a toddler; I'm nine."_

_I scoffed, "Barely of Academy age. You can't possibly be serious," I added to the Director._

_"I am completely serious," she replied with a smile, "Serious as a hearts attack. Now, I assure you, Doctor, that Arkytior will be more than capable of fulfilling your expectations; she received top marks at her entrance exams and is proving to be very bright."_

_I crossed my arms, "Hmph, exam scores prove nothing."_

_"She is a descendant of Rassilon," the Director continued, placing a reassuring hand on Arkytior's shoulder as she continued to glare up at me._

_I raised an eyebrow in spite of myself, "Really?"_

_"Yes, the last living offspring of the great Lord President himself."_

_"So, are you going to be my partner or not?" Arkytior piped up._

_The Director stared at her, surprised at her boldness; I, meanwhile, fixed her with a thoughtful expression._

_"Tell me, Arkytior, why exactly did you want to join Renaissance?"_

_"She seeks to improve her developmental skills and intelligence," the Director started, but I cut her off._

_"I'm not asking you; I'm asking her."_

_I turned back to the girl and raised an eyebrow, awaiting her answer._  
_Arkytior's eyes didn't waver an inch as she looked right back at me and declared, "I joined Renaissance because I want to see the universe."_

_I couldn't help but smile at this, "Good girl."_

_The Director looked between us, confused, "Well? Does that mean you agree to the reassignment?"_

_I shrugged, "Sure. Why not?"_

_"Excellent," the Director clapped her hands together gleefully, "Now, I'll allow you two to get associated with each other and then we can begin. I'm reassigning your TARDIS, by the way"_

_"What's wrong with the old one?" I demanded._

_"It's a bit outdated."_

_"I like the older models."_

_"Well, anyway, perhaps you could show Arkytior around the facility?"_

_I looked back down at the little girl. "I suppose."_

_"Good. I'll leave you to it." With that, the Director left, leaving me alone with my new pre-pubescent partner._

_"So, um," I faltered, unsure of what to say._

_Arkytior cocked her head the side, studying me keenly. "Doctor, that's your name, right?"_

_"Uh, yes."_

_"You don't really look like a doctor."_

_"Oh? And why is that?"_

_She grinned, "You're not all cold and stern like all the doctor's I've met; you're softer, nicer; you're more like a grandfather."_

_My mouth fell open slightly, "I am not-I'm not that old!"_

_"You are to me," the girl replied, skipping forward and grabbing my hand, "Now, come on, Grandfather, show me around the facility, so we can get started!"_

_"Don't call me that; I'm not your grandfather. I'm your colleague not your guardian."_

_"Whatever you say." The girl rolled her eyes._

_I scowled, "Now, listen her, Arkio-Arkia. Blast! What is your name?"_

_"Ark-y-ti-or," the girl sounded it out for me._

_"I'm never going to remember that," I proclaimed, "By the time I've called out lookout Arky-whatever, you'd be dead."_

_Arkytior's eyes grew even larger, "Is there danger on the assignments?"_

_"Well, of course, the universe is a dangerous place."_

_"Sounds exciting!"_

_"I suppose, but back to the matter of your name, you don't have a Title yet since you're underage, so we'll have to come up with something else." I tapped my chin, thoughtfully, "I know, how about Susan?"_

_The girl made a face. "Why that name?'_

_"Oh, don't be like that," I chastised, "It's a very pretty Earth girl name; I knew a horse named Susan once, bright chap."_

_"But I'm not a horse. Why can't you just call me my name?"_

_"Because it's easier to say."_

_"But I don't like it!"_

_At that moment, one of the Director's assistants walked in. "Doctor, I'm sorry; you'll have to show Arkytior around the facility later. The Director wants you for TARDIS control osmosis."_

_"Very well," I replied, "Come alone, Susan."_

_She stuck her tongue out at me, but grabbed my hand as I turned to leave. "Right behind you, Grandfather."_

_The attendant looked to us in confusion before gesturing down the hall._  
_"This way, Doctor…_Doctor? Doctor!"

* * *

"Doctor! Doctor, wake up!"

I awoke with a start, my eyes flew open to see Terna standing over me.

"Hmm? What's the matter? What is it? Oh good gracious! Don't tell me I went off to sleep."

"You did."

"Oh!" Cursing myself inwardly, I jumped off the Grecian sofa I'd been lying on and hurriedly threw on my waist coat.

"At a very critical time too," Terna continued, "Oh well, I suppose it did you a world of good."

"Deep in the arms of Morpheus, eh my dear?" I replied, smiling as I looked at her. She was back in a dress today: a garment of midnight blue with strapped sleeves, a V-necked collar, and a patterned assortment of silver jewels running all along the length of the dress from shoulder to skirt. Her hair was swept off her face in its usual braided twist, so her blue eyes were clearly visible. They paired with the dress quite nicely.  
Stop that. I shook my head as I adjusted my shirt cuffs. "Now, I must go and have a wash."

"Oh, but Doctor, the trembling's stopped," Barbara suddenly called; I looked over to see her and Ian standing by the Console. The rotor had indeed stopped moving.

"We appear to have landed while you were asleep," Ian added.

"What?"  
How could I have not woken up? How could I have fallen asleep at all? I dropped my eyes, feeling my face flame with embarrassment.  
"I say, I must never allow this sort of thing again now, must I? No. Well, all we have to do is to turn the power off."  
Shaking off my lingering drowsiness, I flicked a switch, and there was a faint 'thump' as the ship set down.

"Then we have landed?" Terna inquired.

"Yes, er, excuse me," I muttered, rubbing the side of my nose as I awkwardly sidled by her in order to reach the environment scanners. "Materialized, I think, is a better word. Well now, let's have a look and see if it's safe. Yes, the air's very good. The temperature. Yes, wherever we are, I think it's nice and fine.  
I paused, stifling a yawn. "Oh, forgive me, I'm so sorry. Yes. Well, I must say, this looks most promising. Now, let's have a look, shall we?"

With that, I flicked the switch, and the scanner lit up; although, it didn't show much, barely an image of a grey stone cavern with a floor of packed black dirt.

"Very dark," Ian remarked, "Can't really make out anything at all. It looks very rocky, whatever it is."

"Yes. It does somewhat," I mused, cocking my head to the side as I surveyed the image, "Might be a cave, or even miles underground."

Beside me, I saw Terna noticeably pale.  
"Oh, don't say that!"

Right, I'd forgotten the Lyall was cluster-phobic.

Barbara looked equally distressed. "Do you mean we could be trapped down here?"

"Oh. It doesn't necessarily mean anything, my dear Barbara," I replied simply, "We can, of course, always travel through solid matter in flight, and we can take off again quite easily. However, I do think we ought to step outside and have a look. Susan, uh…." I trailed off, gesturing to the empty space at my side that Susan had so frequently occupied.

A heavy ache filled my hearts as I recalled the dream I'd been having before Terna had awoken me. That child, that little girl, _my _little girl: now a woman, now far out of my reach.

There was a heavy silence in the TARDIS as no one really seemed to know what to say, judging from the other's expressions, I could tell they were all nursing their own now painful memories.

I felt a hand grasp my shoulder and turned to see Terna smiling sadly at me.  
"Doctor, why don't you show me how to open the doors?"

"Hmm? Yes, yes, yes, my dear. Of course, yes, yes, how silly of me," I laughed slightly, trying to shake the feeling off, "Yes, number four switch."

Terna flicked the switch I'd indicated, and the doors swung open.

"Very good," I commended, "You won't, of course, try to do that during transit, will you?"

Terna rolled her eyes, "No, of course not."

With that, we all exited the time ship and stepped into the new environment; instantly, a cool, damp, sour-smelling atmosphere settled across our bodies.

"It is a cave," Ian declared, "You were right Doctor."

Barbara wrinkled her nose, "Strange: there's a funny smell; it doesn't smell like anything on Earth."

"No, it doesn't my dear," I agreed.  
However, there was something about this environment that was generating a sense of déjà vu. "But I do know that smell."

Terna looked at me. "You recognize it?"

"Yes, yes, more or less. Why don't you lot have a look 'round, but don't go too far away. Remember we haven't had much luck with caves like these during our travels."

The other three looked at me incredulously. "What are you going to do? Ian asked.

"Oh, I think I'm going to have a nap," I replied without thinking.

That was a lie, and they knew it; I grimaced as I headed back into the TARDIS, remembering only after I'd said it that I'd just woken up.

I stepped into the Console Room and turned on the scanner so as to survey the other three, making sure they didn't wander too far.

"A nap?" Ian was saying, "Huh. Well that's a new one, isn't it? He's usually the first one to be up and dashing off for a look."

"It's only been a short time since Susan's left," Terna reminded him, "I think it's taken a bigger toll on him then he's willing to admit."

"Maybe we're going to see a new side to the Doctor," Barbara added.

"Yes, well, he isn't getting any younger is he?" Ian continued, "You know, it's the first time he's been to sleep during a landing. I've got an idea he's getting a bit."  
He then made a hand gesture that was an obvious reference to me going senile.

I scowled, even more so when Terna snorted with laughter.

"I think he's always been like that."

I leaned forward and pressed a button, activating it and making all three of them jump satisfyingly as I barked into the speaker, "Remember I can hear what you're saying. Pick up that stone for me, would you?"

Ian looked confused, but then looked down and saw a rock lying by his shoe. "This one, Doctor?"

"Yes. Thank you. Now drop it: I'm doing a test on the planet's gravity." The human man obliged, and the stone landed unceremoniously in the dirt.

"Very good." I then turned the intercom off but continued to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Look, Ian, all the old associations are still in the ship," Barbara continued, a little quieter in case I was still listening, "You can't expect him to say goodbye to Susan and then forget about her the next minute."

"No, I suppose not," Ian shook his head sadly, "I wonder what she's doing now."

Terna smirked. "If I know anything about David, she's learning to milk cows."

"Yes, he's a nice chap, David."

Barbara, meanwhile, had wandered a short ways away from the ship. "Come on," she beckoned to the others.

"There may be a way over here, you know," Ian proclaimed, shoving his hands into his pockets as he strode off after Barbara, Terna close behind.

"Yes, but I think the sun is coming through that way." Barbara pointed a short ways ahead of them where the light did seem to be a little brighter.

"Ah, so it is."

I watched them move out of the scanner's range before nipping back outside to gather a couple more stones for a few more tests.

I set the stone on an analysis system on the Console; almost instantly, a string of data popped up on the screen, and I eagerly began scribbling away.  
I squinted at my notepad as drops of ink dribbled down the page.  
"Oh, my writing keeps getting worse and worse. Dear, dear, dear," I sighed, "Well, undoubtedly we've landed on the planet Dido. How remarkable. Well, I must say, it'll be rather nice to meet these friendly people again after all these years. Fancy landing back here again."  
I smiled, a mischievous thought occurring to me, "I wonder if I were to tell Ian and Terna that it was deliberate, whether they'd believe me or not? Oh no, of course, I was asleep. Oh, pity, pity."

Now that I had determined where we were, I decided to go track down the others, so we could all go meet the locals together; I'd hoped they hadn't gotten far, but Dido was only slightly larger than the average moon, so there wasn't much ground to cover.

I stepped out of the TARDIS and looked around, seeing no sign of the others.  
"Terna! Barbara! Chesterton! Where are you?" I leaned forward, squinting slightly, but I couldn't see anything through the gloom. "Oh, I can't, oh, I can't see anything."

I turned and hurried back into the TARDIS to collect a torch; returning to the outside, I flicked it on, and the cave was instantly illuminated.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang that shook the whole cave, sending dust raining down from the ceiling and nearly knocking me off my feet. The torch fell from my hand with a clatter, the light flashing across the walls.  
I turned at the sound of footsteps to see Ian sprinting towards me, his face covered in dirt and dust.

My eyes widened. "Chesterton! Oh, my dear fellow, are you all right?"

"Barbara." Ian looked absolutely crestfallen.

My hearts skipped a beat. "Where is she? Steady, steady." I urged him, placing a hand to his chest to keep him from keeling over.

"Barbara. I thought she was with me," Ian whispered weakly "I, I heard her scream. Terna too."

My hearts skipped a beat, "What?"

"I went back and an explosion...," Ian shock his head, blinking rapidly as he tried to clear the soot from his eyes.

"Come on, come on, get your breath back," I urged, thumping his chest to try and focus him, "Now, now then, you all right?"

"Yes."

"Well, let's try and look for them, shall we?" I was struggling to remain calm for Ian's sake, but on the inside I could feel the beginning's of panic. If there was a cave in…Oh, God, I'd just lost Susan, but at least she was alive and well. If anything had happened to Barbara…or Terna. I shivered at the thought.

Ian nodded, leading me towards the mouth of the cave. "Yes, it's this way."

"Be careful now, be careful," I urged, my stomach sinking as I saw the clogged entrance filled to the brim with crumbling stone that creaked menacingly. "Oh, good gracious, the whole roof's fallen in!"

"This blocks the cave!" Ian scrambled towards the mound, "Barbara! Terna!"

His fingers grasped the nearest stone and began frantically attempting to move it aside.

I glanced up at the ceiling nervously. "Oh, I hope we shan't get another fall. I don't think the TARDIS is likely to-"

I was cut off by Ian throwing his hands up in frustration, "No use. Doctor, this wasn't an accident."

I raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, my boy?"

Ian grimaced, "It was a thing, a repulsive thing with a hideous face."

I relaxed somewhat at his description, despite its ominous undertones; I knew more about this planet than he did. "With hands and feet like claws?"

"Yes, that's it. How do you know?"

"Well, this is the planet Dido. I've been here before; I know them very well."

"What?

"They're very friendly people."

Ian's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "Friendly?!" he cried.

"Yes."

"Oh, it certainly wasn't friendly to us," Ian spat, "Must have kept Barbara and Terna back. That scream…Barbara!" he whirled around and frantically tried to move more of the stones, refueled by the memory of Barbara's cry of terror as the rocks fell.

"Oh for heaven's sake, don't keep scratching there," I chastised, pulling him away from the rockslide, "Try and find another way out. This thing, was it armed?"

"No, no, it wasn't," Ian shook his head, but then paused, visibly remembering something. "Wait a minute, it was carrying some sort of jeweled club, about so long." He held up his hand indicating something about the size of a monkey wrench.

"With a big head, resembling a spanner?" I asked.

"Yes."

"I thought so."

Ian rolled his eyes. "I don't know why you bother to ask."

"That may account for this," I ignored his quip as I gestured to the rocks.

"What?"

"When I was here last time, if I remember rightly, they'd just perfected this thing. It's a ray, used in construction work."

Ian nodded. "Ahh." he glanced back at the rock slide, looking no less distressed by my explanation. He eventually sat down on one of the large pieces of rubble.

"Now look here, are you all right?" I urged, "Are you capable?"

"Yes, I'm not too bad," Ian replied, wiping some grime from the side of his face.

"Come along. Don't just sit there, my dear boy. Stand up. Stand up," I grabbed his arm and pulled him back to his feet, whipping lingering dirt off his clothes as I did so, "Come along, that's it, mind your head. It's only dust. No bones broken?"

"Thank you, Doctor," Ian smiled weakly, "The most thorough-going medical I've ever had."

"Yes, it's a pity I didn't get that degree, isn't it?" I agreed with a grin.

"You say these people were friendly?"

"Really. Very friendly people."

"If that's a sample," Ian grimaced, "I'll take the Daleks anytime."

Please don't make jokes like that.

"Now look here, you take yourself off there and try and find Barbara and Terna."

"Right."

"Come along and be careful," I urged, gesturing deeper into the now completely dark cave in the hopes of finding another way out.

"Yeah, we need to be careful," Ian declared, "These people are dangerous."

I was greatly disturbed by all this.  
"But why?" I wondered aloud, "What could have happened to changed them? I wonder."

()()()

We started on our way, the passage continued to narrow the further we went; eventually, we found ourselves shimmying along a thin ledge with a deep chasm just ahead of us and nothing but rough stone at our backs.

"Oh, I wonder how much further, Doctor," Ian wondered, slightly strained.

I wasn't really listening; I was still focused on what could have happened to transform the Dido people.  
"Oh, I can't understand it. I just can't understand it. Violence is totally alien to people on this planet."

"Oh, well, people change, Doctor," Ian replied with a shrug, "New leader, different set of circumstances."

"No, no, no, my dear Chesterton, no," I insisted, "The Dido people had a very good reason to hate death and destruction. My dear boy, when I was here before, the total population amounted to a handful of people: merely a hundred."

"Is that all?"

"Yes, exactly. All the more reason for holding onto life. Peace, friendship, happiness. This means everything to the people here."

Ian nodded. "Yes. Yes, I see what you mean. Well, you ready to carry on?"

"Me? Carry on? My dear fellow, it was you that stopped."

We continued on our way, slowly scrambling along the small pathway, hugging the wall all the tighter as we went on.

Ian called to me from a few paces ahead, saying something about something narrowing.

"What's that, my boy?" I asked, not hearing him properly, but I pretty quickly figured out what he meant when my foot missed the ledge, and I almost fell over the side.

"Oh, oh, careful!" Ian urged, grabbing my hand to pull me back up

"Oh, thank you! I say, look, have you noticed the ledge? It's narrowing out."

Ian sighed. "Yes, Doctor." He moved to continue on.

"Wait, wait," I grabbed his arm to stop them.

"Huh?"

"Point the torch, shine it down there," I gestured over the side, and Ian followed my arm with the beam of the light I'd given him, "You see that? It's quite a chasm."

Ian grimaced. "Yes, it certainly is. Not very much to hold onto here either. We'll just have to keep ourselves pressed against the rock face."

"My dear boy, if I pressed myself any harder against this thing I would be doing myself an injury," I snapped.

There was a sudden roar that echoed all around us; I jumped, nearly falling off the cliff again.

"What was that?" Ian hissed.

"Well, it's not me, is it?" I snapped, pointing to the ground miles below us, "Shine the torch down there!"

Ian obliged, slicing the beam through the murk, and we caught a glimpse of a deep green, lizard-like creature with bugged-out eyes and large jaws full of razor sharp teeth. It raised its face towards us, roaring again in response to the light.

Ian looked appropriately alarmed. "What's that nightmare?"

"Isn't it sufficient that it's down there and we're up here? Hmm?" I reminded him, grabbing his arm to jerk the light away from the creature's form, dousing it in darkness as though it wasn't even there at all.

"Yes, it's got eyes. I saw them," Ian remarked, "Green: used to daylight. Must have come in from the outside."

"Oh. Very good, yes," I commended, "Very intelligent reasoning. So good I might have said the same thing myself."

Ian gritted his teeth, "We've got to get out of here. What we need are some good handholds," He shined the torch a ways ahead of us, and it illuminated what looked like a doorway sunk into the wall of the chasm, on either side were two pillars with a large iron ring hanging from each.  
" Oh, here we are, all provided."  
As he grasped one of the rings, he looked back at me. "You're right, Doctor. Somebody's been this way before."

"Well, now, be careful," I urged him, brushing his remark aside.

"I will, just hold onto that," he passed me the torch. "Swing yourself over after me. Okay?"

"Yes, of course," I reply, somewhat impatient.

Ian reached for the handle, using it to swing himself in between the two pillars.

"Watch this one," he urged me, gesturing to the ring after stumbling slightly. "It's loose. Oh! I've pulled it out!" he cried as his grip loosens and the ring fell from its slot, dangling from some kind of cord.

My eyes widened as I went over to grab it, examining the cord; I found it was slick with some kind of dark liquid.

"Doctor, what is it?"

"Chesterton, it's oil. It's got oil on it."

"What's that noise?" Ian cried just as a strange, mechanical whirring filled the cave.

"Come back here," I exclaimed, "It's a trap; you've activated it by pulling this thing out."

Ian's eyes grew in realization, and he started to try and move around the pillar without the use of the ring, but suddenly found himself blocked off on either side by a row of metal spikes shooting out of the pillars, sealing him between them.  
"Don't go any further!" I urged.

"I can't go either way!" Ian replied.  
He staggered, nearly losing his balance on the narrow platform as he tried to avoid the spikes. No such luck as a third, larger row of spikes opened up in the doorway behind him. As this happened, the spikes slowly began to move forward. "Doctor, they're pushing me towards the edge!"

Below us, the creature at the bottom of the chasm snarled hungrily, eagerly awaiting what it believed to be a full course meal promptly delivered into the pit.

Desperate, Ian turned and tried to push back against the spikes, but immediately yanked his hand away. "Doctor, they're razor sharp!"

"Take your coat off, my boy, and throw it over the blades," I ordered, thinking quickly.

"Alright," the human man frantically slid off his blazar while the creature below continued to snarl. He quickly draped the garment over the spikes.

"Right. Now swing yourself 'round," I called to him.

Ian grasped the side of the pillar, careful to avoid the spikes. "Give me a hand."

I quickly snatched his wrist and pulled him around the pillar, just barely missing the spikes.  
"Come on, come on." I urged, seeing him safely settled on the other side.

"Thanks," Ian gasped, his face flushed in the dim light. "I thought I'd had it. What do you think this is for?" he added, gesturing to the apparent torture device.

I looked at it, shaking my head in dismay. I knew it was becoming harder and harder to convince Ian that the people of Dido were peaceful, but they _were. _  
They had to be; however, I would never admit this to the man, but I was beginning to have my own doubts.

How long had it been for Dido since my last visit? Had it really changed so much?

"I've no idea," I finally said of the device, "I've never seen it before in my life."

Ian fiddled with the still loose ring. "I suppose this operates the knives."

"Yes, quite so. We've got to get this thing back in its place," I declared, taking the ring from him, trying to coax it back into the hole.

Below us, the dragon-like creature moaned in an apparent lament of its lost meal.

Ian shot it a wary glance. "The executioner sounds disappointed."

"Yes, never mind about all that," I replied dismissively, still messing with the handle, "Come on, give me a hand. Barbara and Terna are still outside. They might be in grave danger."

After some effort, Ian and I finally manage to slide the ring back into place.  
"There you are. I think that's got it back. Watch it!"

We both jump back as the blades instantly retract, resetting the device.

"Yes. You've done it, Doctor," Ian exclaimed, "Let's hope there aren't any more surprises like that waiting for us. Come on."

Much more cautiously than before, we carefully navigated our way around the pillars, taking pains not to pull out any of the rings.

We then proceeded to continue shimmying along the side of the chasm; I hadn't heard anymore movement from the dragon on the cave floor, and hoped to God it had moved on. It would surely have devoured us with no means of outrunning it; if the fall from tripping over the chasm edge didn't kill us first that is.

"Look, Doctor! Daylight!" Ian's cry jerked me from my thoughts. I followed his gaze to see he walking towards the end of the cave where the distinct white light of sunlight could be seen.

"Yes, I think you're right. Chesterton."

"Look out, Doctor. Don't go too near the edge," Ian urged me.

"I'm fine," I replied before pausing, sprodaically noticing what appeared to be another carved door set into the side of the cliff. "Look. There's a door here."

"What?"

"Now that must lead somewhere," I continued, scanning the carved surface for any sign of a doorknob.

"Yes, it might," Ian agreed.

"Yes, but there'll be no time to open that," I finally decided. "No, come on, let's go the obvious way." I added, referring to the end of the cave.

"All right."

"Go on, go on," I pushed Ian along.

Ian gripped the cave wall intently. "Now mind this edge."

I nodded, glancing over my shoulder. "Just so long as nobody starts creeping up behind us."

There's a sudden loud bang like a firecracker going off followed by a scream coming from just outside the cave that makes both Ian and me jump.

"What was that?" the former cried.

"Horrible," I replied. Whatever it was, it sounded like some poor creature dying by gunshot. Due to recent events, it was more than a little unsettling.

"What is it?" Ian asked me, seemingly my expression reflected my thoughts.

"Come on," I replied simply, brushing that aside as we made our way to the mouth of the cave.

After quite a while clambering about in the dark, the pale, late afternoon sunlight of the Dido planet surface was momentarily blinding.

However, it cleared up in a minute or two, and the sight that met us was even brighter. A short distance from the cave exit, there was a gigantic crashed spaceship; it was split in half like a snapped twig, half sunk in the white sand with a distinct Union Jack sticking out of the top.

However, the ship itself wasn't as reassuring as the people beside it.

"Ian! Doctor!" Terna bolted towards us. Her blonde hair was coming loose from her twist, her arms and face were slightly dirtied and bruised, and a few jewels were missing from her dress, but she otherwise looked fine.

"Barbara! Oh thank goodness," Ian rushed over to embrace a similarly relieved Barbara.

"Oh, Ian!" the woman dropped what appeared to be an empty flare gun and tightly hugged her friend.

However, I ignored that oddity as Terna threw her arms around my neck, seemingly as relieved as I was even though I'd been lead to believe she'd been crushed by rocks.  
"My dear Terna! You're all right, aren't you?" I inquired, breaking the hug and leaning back to inspect her more closely, gingerly brushing the side of her face.

The Lyall grinned in response. "I've never felt better in my life!"

It was then that I noticed a third person was lingering by the entrance of the crashed spaceship; it was a young human girl of about fifteen. She was wearing a simple black and gold-trimmed dress and had shoulder-length honey blonde hair. Her eyes met mine, and I saw they were large, deep brown and filled with tears.

I felt my hearts flutter somewhat at the familiarity in those eyes, but wasn't left to dwell on it as the girl suddenly bolted into the ship, disappearing.

"Who was that?" I inquired of Terna.

"Oh her? That's Vicki," she replied.

"Why's she crying?" Ian asked.

Barbara dropped her eyes, "It's because I killed Sandy."

Ian was aghast, "You what?"

Barbara silently pointed to the still slightly smoking carcass of another of the sand dinosaurs resting near the mouth of the cave. "I thought it was going to kill her, but Vicki claims it was some sort of pet. I didn't know, and I killed it with that flare gun. I fear she's very angry with me."

Ian placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "You did nothing wrong; you didn't know, and you were just trying to protect her."

"What is she doing on this planet anyways?" I continued, "She isn't alone is she?"

Barbara shook her head. "No. Vicki said her father was a member of the crew that maned the ship here; it crashed on this planet a few weeks ago. Supposedly, the crewmembers were welcomed to the banquet hall of the Dido people for a feast."

I nodded, "Yes, that sounds like them: generous and welcoming."

"Yeah, but it was all a ploy," Terna asserted, "Vicki was at the ship with a fever, but all of the other crew were slaughtered by the Dido people."

My mouth fell open in shock. "What?!"

Terna nodded gravely, "Yeah, only one crewmember, Bennet, survived, but his injuries are extremely severe."

"Vicki and Bennet are waiting for a rescue ship to land and pick them up," Barbara added, "But they have to keep their transmissions with it secret, otherwise Koquillion may attack them."

I raised an eyebrow. "Koquillion?"

"He's one of the Dido people; he keeps Vicki and Bennet captive, threatens them with weapons and extorts them with promises to protect him from the other savage members of his race that killed their crewmates. If he found out about the rescue ship, he'd surely kill them."

"And us, now that we're here," Ian surmised.

"He already tried," Terna declared, "He was the one that caused the cave in, knocked Barbara and me over the cliff, luckily we managed to use the Omni-Vice to break our fall."

"Yes, that's very fortunate indeed," I mumbled, somewhat distracted.

Terna eyed me curiously, "Doctor, are you alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Yes, it's just this is all a very strange circumstance.

Ian nodded in agreement, "Perhaps we should talk to Vicki about it?'

I nodded in agreement.

"That is if she's done bawling her eyes out," Terna added, not too kindly as we all entered the crashed spaceship. The door lead to one of the more intact parts of the craft, consisting of a computer system set against the far wall, a kitchen area in the corner and a table and chairs in the center of the room.

Vicki was sitting on one of the latter; she glanced up as we entered, her eyes still noticeably red and puffy.  
She scowled at us. "What do you want?"

I smiled slightly, seeing through her false bravado. "Now, now. There's no need to be like that," I lightly chastised, fishing a handkerchief out of my pocket and handing it to her. "Here you are, my dear."

Vicki sniffed loudly, dabbing at her eyes while still averting my own.

"That's better, that's better," I commended, "Now blow your nose and wipe your face. That's it. I don't like saying it, my dear, but you do look a bit of a mess, you know?"

Vicki glared at me, but I noticed the tips of her lips starting to turn up in the faintest of smiles, which was reassuring.  
Terna, meanwhile, was less than visibly impressed. "There's really no need to cry; it was just a sand lizard."

"Yes, cheer up, Vicki," Ian added as he casually perused the cabinets lining the walls, eventually coming across a disused empty fire extinguisher. Although it was no longer capable of its initial purpose, it was still heavy enough to make a decent club, which Ian seemed to determine as well as he smacked it against his palm experimentally.  
"And don't forget, if old Koquillion comes round, I've got this."

"You mustn't, Ian," Vicki cried, jumping to her feet, "I keep telling you people why we do what he says. You'll spoil it, you'll spoil everything."

"Now, now, now, it's going to be all right," I assured her, "We're not going to jeopardize your safety or your rescue. Now, first of all, I'd like to have a talk with this Bennett of yours."

Vicki still seemed somewhat distressed. "Oh, I keep him safe in the other end of the ship," she explained, gesturing vaguely towards a door across the room that seemed to lead deeper into the craft.

"Will you take me to him?"

Vicki nodded.

"I've been tending to him, Doctor," Terna added, "Trying to figure out his injuries. They're most unusual. No visible sign of trauma and no nerve damage."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's most interesting."

The seed of an idea was planted in my mind, but there wasn't enough evidence as of yet for it to fully germinate, at least until I talked with Bennett face to face.

Vicki seemed confused by my methods. "I keep telling you, the rescue ship's on its way. It's going to take us back to Earth. Can't you understand?"

"Yes, of course," I replied.

"Look Vicki, I know you've been here a long time, but you may be overestimating what Koquillion can do," Barbara added.

"Yes, you're right. I've been here a long time," the young girl replied, turning on her, "I know what it's like here. You've only just come and you're trying to ruin things. It was all right before. It was. The rescue ship's coming and nobody asked you to come here. Nobody!" she cried, slamming her hands down on the table.

"Now, Vicki," I started, attempting to place a hand on her shoulder, but she shook me off.

"Go away."

Terna glowered. "Fine. Be that way," she turned from the girl. "She's such a brat. I'm going to see to Bennet," she added to Ian and Barbara, not too quietly.

The two humans exchanged a glance before moving outside, seemingly coming to the silent conclusion to talk further about recent events, leaving me alone in the living quarters with the still irascible Vicki.

I turned towards the girl and smiled reassuringly, trying my best to be understanding of her situation in a way the others seemed to be unable to.

"Vicki, my dear, sit down," I offered, urging her back into her chair, "Now, you don't really mean that, do you? Well, do you?"

Vicki hesitates, but then reluctantly shakes her head.

I smiled, pleased at my progress. "Good, good. Now, I've listened to all you've said, and I've thoroughly understood. We're here to help you. That is all we're going to try to do. You know, we're not going to ruin things for you."

Vicki dropped her eyes, her expression solemn. "Bennett says that when we get back we've got to tell them on Earth what they did to us here. He thinks this planet should be wiped out."

My brow furrowed at this. "Really?" Another piece to be added to the idea forming in my mind.

"He says Koquillion shouldn't be made to get away with what he's done to us," Vicki explained.

"I think I agree with Bennett, at least about Koquillion," I admitted, "But don't you think there's just a chance, just a little chance, that my ideas might prove the better ones? Hmm?"

Vicki seemed intrigued, she'd obviously noticed I was attempting to investigate something and talking with Bennett was now my only means of continuing it.  
Eagerly, she nodded, getting to her feet.

"Good, good. Now, I'll go and have a talk with Bennett," I declared, "And I promise you, I'll listen to everything he says. Hmm?"

Vicki nodded, pleased. "I'll take you to him."

"Splendid."

Vicki then lead me through the door Terna had disappeared through a few moments prior, which seemed to lead to the main part of the ship. The rocket was not large, seemingly made up of only the living quarters and sleeping areas with a single hallway connecting him. Most of said hallway was crumbling, having taken the full brunt of the impact; parts of the ceiling had caved in, and the entire left wall had come away from the infrastructure. The skeleton of the ship was easily visible, and it was somewhat precarious moving along as there was a high possibility of tripping over some loose materials strewn about the ruined craft.

Eventually, we reached the end of the hall where a door was set heavy into the wall beside loose pieces of tile and beams.

"This is Bennett's room," Vicki concluded.

"Yes, well now, I don't think you need to wait, my dear," I declared, "You go back with Ian and Barbara, hmm?"

Vicki gritted her teeth. "Barbara."

"Oh, now, now, you mustn't be like that," I urged her, "You're not giving her much of a chance, are you? She's nice, you know? You'll like her."

"She killed Sandy," Vicki insisted.

"Yes, well, so might I have done!" I exclaimed, remembering how my own experiences with the sand lizard natives of Dido had unnerved me greatly. If one came charging at me, I certainly wouldn't stop to consider it might be someone's pet.

"No," Vicki asserted.

"Hmm?"

"I don't think you'd kill Sandy," Vicki declared, "You haven't got the sort of face that kills things."

I chuckled at that, "And Barbara has, I suppose, eh? You know she was frightened, frightened for _your_ safety. She thought you were going to be hurt."  
Vicki seemed unconvinced, "Good gracious me, you mustn't behave like that," I exclaimed, "Now, look here, I think the best thing for you to do is to pop along back there, don't you, hmm? You must believe what Barbara did, try and understand my dear, and why she did it. Just for me, eh?"

Vicki seemed initially somewhat reluctant but eventually relented, smiling rather warmly at me before turning and making her way back down the hall towards the other end of the ship.  
I looked after her, returning her smile. She was a rather sweet little thing, and she certainly had spunk.  
She was rather like…

No. I shook my head, choosing not to let my thoughts wander there as I turned my attention back to the matter at hand, knocking promptly on the door.

"Bennett?"

"You can't come in," I heard a distinctly male voice call through the door.

Well, that was suspicious.  
I gripped the opening mechanism, trying to force the door open, but it seemed to be firmly stuck.

"Bennett, I want to talk to you," I called, banging on the door again, "Terna? Are you in there? Open the door. Oh dear."  
Relenting with a gasp of frustration, I glanced around my immediate area for any solution to my predicament, eventually finding a piece of a girder lying against the wall.

It made a rather good battering ram, and I managed to force the door down after only a few tries.

Stumbling into the room, I tossed the girder aside and stared around the small, cramped, and very empty bedroom.

I was surprised. Where was Bennett? Where was Terna? Hadn't she come this way?

Left with nothing else, I began to examine the interior of the space. There wasn't much to the room: a single bed was leaning against the wall with a bookcase beside it and a computer set against the wall by the door.  
Curious, I pressed a button on the computer system, and the distinct high-pitched whine of a tape recorder starting up could be heard.  
"What have we here?" I wondered aloud, "Tape recordings for what?"

I then pressed play.

"You can't come in," the distinct voice of what I had inferred to be Bennett blared through the system.  
I quickly switched it off and then turned up the volume on the receiver.  
This time, I heard Vicki's voice: "Oh yes, I like the Doctor. Its funny, but as soon as he walked in, I felt that you could trust him. But why does he wear those funny clothes? And that long white hair." She laughed.

"Vicki, I've told you, the Doctor comes from another time," Barbara explained.

The young girl continued to laugh. "Oh, don't start that again."

I rolled my eyes as I switched off the intercom. "Silly child, silly child."

Well now, I surmised as I stared around the room, another piece of the puzzle has fallen into place. "Intercom systems, tape recordings. Now, I wonder what else, hmm?"

I then spied something familiar lying on the ground in the middle of the room. There was a distinct gleam of gold as I stooped to pick it up; it was Terna's Omni-Vice.  
My stomach constricted more than I'd care to admit at the thought of what might have happened to Terna when she'd gone to tend to Bennett

"So she was here," I mused, turning the magnifying glass around in my hands, "Dear, dear, I hope Bennet hasn't done any foolish."

I moved over to examine the bed and almost instantly found what appeared to be leaver set into the side of the frame.  
I pulled it, and a trap door opened up in the center of the room.  
I smirked, "Yes, I see, an easy way to get out of a locked room."

The room below the trap door was dark, but it didn't seem all that far down. Cautiously, I jumped down through the door and ended up standing on a ledge in a deep, dank and familiar cave.  
I glanced around as I straightened up. "Oh, back where we started."

"Doctor?" a voice cautiously called from the darkness.  
I turned around in time to see a pair of blue eyes shining at me out of the darkness.

"Terna? Is that you?" I smiled when she stepped out of the shadows, looking decidedly flustered, "Thank goodness you're safe," I cried, hurrying over to her and pulling her into a hug.

"Oh, Doctor, I've been yelling and hollering forever," the Lyall exclaimed as we broke apart.

"How did you get down here?" I inquired.

Terna's expression darkened. "It was Bennett. There was a trap door in his room."

"Yes, I saw that."

The Lyall Queen glowered. "I didn't. I still couldn't figure out what was wrong with him, so I was going to get you for a second opinion. When I turned to leave, I walked right over it, and he pulled the lever, dumping me down here."

She glanced warily at our dark surroundings, her expression clearly unnerved.

"Yes, rather creepy, isn't it?" I agreed with her silent proclamation, "But I assure you; there's nothing to be afraid of-"

What sounded like some kind of shuffling nearby cut me off; Terna grabbed my arm almost absentmindedly. "Are you sure about that?"

I'll admit I was a little freaked out, but Terna looked next to terrified, frantically scanning our surroundings.  
"Terna, what is it?"

Her grip tightened on my arm. "Doctor, I think there might be someone down here."

My mouth parted, surprised at such an assumption, but I shook it off almost immediately.  
"Oh nonsense. There was nobody in this cave before."

"No, I swear," Terna insisted, "I saw someone moving around down here. I'm not making this up!"

It simply wasn't possible; Ian and I had been up and down these caves more times than we could count, and we'd seen no one.  
"You know, Terna. I sometimes question if you are entirely right in the head."

Terna glared at me. "Doctor…"

Ignoring her seething look, I turned towards the wall beside us, and almost immediately spotted the door chiseled into the stone I'd seen earlier. "Ah, look here."

"Don't bother. It's locked."

I smirked, reaching into my pocket. "Well, perhaps this?" I held up her Omni-Vice, distinctly shining through the shadows.

Terna's face lit up almost instantly. "Oh, thank God!" she cried, taking the device from my and quickly morphing it into a sleek skeleton key.

It fitted perfectly into the lock, and the door swung open. The Lyall stepped back to allow me to go first as we stepped off the ledge and into the cliff side.

The room beyond was surprisingly well-lit and spacious. There were several carved pillars lining the long space with incense burning in carved dishes mounted on each. At the opposite end of the room there was a large stone altar with an assortment of unsual vestments and clothing painstakingly laid out across it.

Terna sneezed loudly, slightly overwhelmed by the heavy incense.

"What is this place?" she asked me, sniffing slightly.

"The Didonian Hall of Judgement," I replied matter of factly, "Rather fitting in the present circumstances. Wouldn't you agree, Koquillion?"

From behind us, a tall, hulking creature dressed in long, emerald green robes and adorned in gloves and a mask covered in long, flesh-colored spikes, stepped into view. In his hand, he carried a large, bejeweled club shaped like a monkey rench.

"Doctor!" Terna cried out in surprise, shoving me behind her as she transfigured her Omni-Vice into its signature sword in a flash of light.

"Now, now, there is no reason to be uncivil," I urged her.

"Tell that to him," the Lyall growled, "Don't you remember what he tried to do to Barbara and me?"

"Yes, most disgraceful," I agreed, "Especially in that garb. May I remind you that masks and robes such as you are wearing are only used on important ceremonial occasions," I added to Koquillion, unable to conceal an admittedly smug smile as the last chinks of my theory feel into place. "But I suppose you wouldn't be expected to know that, would you, Bennett?"

Terna's mouth fell open. "What?!"

Koquillion confirmed my suspicions by reluctantly removing the spiked, bug-eyed mask to reveal a very human man with dark, almost black eyes, and red-brown scruff.  
"Are you finished?" Bennett spat.

"Yes, I had hoped that you would continue," I replied simply

"This elaborate plan must have been conceived for some reason," Terna added.

"To save my life," Bennet replied, his grip never loosening on the jeweled club clutched in his gloved hand, "I killed a crewmember on the spaceship to Astra; I was arrested, the ship crashed. My crime hadn't been radioed to Earth, so I knew if I could get rid of the other crewmembers-."

"Get rid of the other crewmembers and blame their deaths on the Dido people," Terna surmised.

Bennett nodded, his dark eyes gleaming as he almost seemed to relish in his past exploits.  
"When we crash landed, the inhabitants invited us all to a grand meeting. It was simple. I just arranged an explosive, using the ships armaments. The whole thing went up. All the inhabitants, the crew, the whole race."

His glee spread to his mouth, and his lips pulled back into a twisted smile. I clenched my fists,  
"You destroyed a whole planet to save your own skin? You're insane!"

"The girl didn't know I'd been arrested," Bennett continued, ignoring my outburst, "When we get back to Earth, she'll support my story. I dressed up as Koquillion to show her how terrible the people here were."

"If that happened, your guilt would have been hidden forever, hmm?" I inferred.

"_If_ it happened?" Bennett snorted, "Nothing's changed; there's only four more people for Koquillion to kill, that's all."

He then held up his club and fired a blast of blinding light directly at us; I jumped back, but Terna deflected the attack with her sword, shoving me out harm's way as the light careened into the opposite wall and exploded against the stone.  
Bennett rushed her, swinging his club, Terna parried, knocking the club aside before swinging the sword at his head. Bennett ducked and knocked her in the hip.  
Terna stumbled, and Bennett went in for the kill. My hearts momentarily stopped, but Terna managed to regain her balance in time and even knock her opponent's weapon out of his hand

It flew across the room, landing a far enough distance away with a clatter. I glanced momentarily at it, but returned my attention to the front as Bennett attacked Terna hand to hand. She managed to hold him off, but only for a few moments before he overpowered her.  
Terna hit the ground, lying flat on her back as Bennett loomed over her, grinning sadistically.

Thinking quickly, I snatched a woven blanket from the pile of items folded on the altar. Rushing Bennett from behind, I threw the blanket over his head, blinding him.

The man cried out in shock and confusion, staggering back and swinging wildly. I stumbled, tripping slightly as I slammed against the altar. My grip slackened, and Bennett managed to get the blanket off him.

I tried to regain my footing, but Bennett knocked me in the side of the head; there was a crack and a loud popping sound exploded in my ears.  
Dazed, I shook my head, trying to regain my composure, but it was too late. Bennett bore down on top of me, and I feel his large hands close around my throat, constricting my windpipe.  
I gasped as he tightened his grip. Fog immediately rose up into my mind as Bennett's grip doesn't waver, but my resistance did as he continued to strangle me.

Vaguely, I heard Terna shouting from behind us: "Doctor!"  
Out of the corner of my eye, through my blurred vision, I saw her dive for Bennett's fallen club and held it aloft, preparing to fire it, but her eyes suddenly flickered to behind the altar. They grew wide with shock, and the club fell from her grasp.

Bennett seemed to notice what it was as well; his mouth fell open, and he scrambled back, his hands slipping from around my throat, and I collapsed against the carved stone, gasping heavily.

I turned around after a moment to catch my breath to see two figures in white slowly approaching us from down the altar steps.

"No!" Bennett shrieked, stumbling desperately backwards, frantically trying to get away as the two figures continued towards him. "I thought I'd killed all of you!"

The men didn't respond, just silently continued to draw nearer.  
Bennet fled, bolting for the door. It slammed shut behind him, the blunt sound followed by a bloodcurdling scream and then silence.

I gasped, blood still pounding in my ears. Bennett must have fallen over the edge; my hearts constricted at the thought of that sand beast waiting below, but I wasn't left to dwell on it as Terna jumped to her feet and rushed over to me.

"Doctor, are you alright?"

"Oh, yes, my dear. Quite, quite," I replied, still gasping slightly as I clutched my aching throat, "Just give me a second to regain my composure."

The two figures suddenly turned towards us. Upon seeing them, Terna immediately whirled around and planted herself firmly between them and me.  
Her posture easily read ready for another fight, but it wavered when one of the white-clothed figures handed her the Omni-Vice she'd dropped, having reverted back to its true form.

The taller of the two then placed three fingers to his forehead and then to Terna's.

The Lyall blinked. "Uh."

"Don't worry, Terna," I assured her, getting to my feet, "That is a Dido sign of respect."

"So, these people are Didonians?" she inquired.

"Yes, it would seem Bennett didn't kill all of them as he'd believed."

Terna smiled grimly, "Lucky for us."

"Indeed. Thank you for your assistance," I added to the Didonians.

The two men nodded in eerie unison.

Terna arched an eyebrow. "Can't you speak?"

"No, I don't think they can," I answered for them, "The last time I was here. I had to bring a translator because they communicate through motions."

"Well, in that case." Terna moved her fingers through a practiced series of hand motions beginning with the three-fingered gesture. The Didonians mimicked this pattern and responded to it.

"What are they saying, hmm?" I asked her after watching them go back and forth.

"They're saying they don't want that rescue ship to land; they don't want any more outsiders coming to this planet. They want to be left in peace."

I suppose that made sense, after what Bennett did to their people.  
"Well, I suppose that is manageable," I proclaimed, "Yes, we'll cut off the signal sending out from the crashed ship. Without a signal, they can't land."

The Didonians nodded in agreement.

I smiled. "Good, good. Well, I suppose that's settled. Just one more thing: would you mind showing us the way out of here?"

The Didonians pointed behind us in the direction they'd come from.

"Oh. Thank you."

"Yes, thank you very much," Terna added.

And, without another word or otherwise, the Didonians left.

"Good. Good, yes. I do believe this is best," I declared as Terna and I turned and began to climb the steps behind the altar towards what we hoped was the surface, "Now the Didonains will be able to live peacefully."

Terna faltered, a thought seemingly occurring to her. "But Doctor. What about Vicki?"

()()()

When we returned to the ship, Terna and I found nothing but a note from Barbara that said she and Ian had taken Vicki back to the TARDIS, seeing it as the safest place to hid from 'Koquillion' while we were sporadically absent.  
After shutting off the transmission in the ship's computer towards the rescue craft, Terna and I made our way back into the caves for the third time that day.

We found the TARDIS soon enough, and an anxious Ian and Barbara waiting for us.

After affirmations that we were both well, Terna and I explained our little misadventure, filling them in on all that had transpired.

"Yes, Bennett's dead; Bennett was Koquillion," I concluded.

Ian was aghast. "What? Bennett? Koquillion?"

"Yes."

"Why, Doctor?"

"He was attempting to escape punishment," Terna explained, "He was the one that killed the crew and all the Didonians. The only ones left were himself and Vicki, and she had no idea of his guilt."

I suddenly remembered Vicki; I hadn't seen her around as of yet, and I was certain it was best she'd be informed of recent events.

"The girl, Vicki," I said to Ian and Barbara, "Did you, did you bring her?"

"Yes," Barbara replied.

"Where?"

"She's waiting outside."

"Oh, I must get some fresh air," I declared, I admit rather transparently, as I opened the TARDIS doors and stepped back into the cool air of the cave, "Yes, I want to have a talk with that child.

"Are you all right?" Ian inquired, still looking somewhat disturbed at our story.

"Yes, now don't fuss," I snapped at him, "I'm quite all right, my boy. I'm quite all right."

Closing the TARDIS door behind me, I walked to the mouth of the cave where Vicki was sitting on a rock, looking dejected.  
She looked up when I approached her, and I couldn't help but sigh when I was met with the youthful innocence in her dark brown eyes, so much like Susan's.  
Quietly, I sat down next to her and then began to recount my story for the second time.

"That's about what happened, and that's all," I concluded upon finishing.

Vicki dropped her eyes, most likely so I couldn't see the tears pooling in them.  
"Then Bennett murdered my father? Now I've got nobody."

Nobody? It was in that moment that something seemed to come over me, and the following words left my mouth before I'd even fully registered them.  
"My dear, why don't you come with us, hmm?"

Vicki looked shocked, transferring her wide-eyed gaze from me over to the TARDIS still nestled in the cave. "In that old box?"

"We can travel anywhere and everywhere in that old box, as you call it," I declared, "Regardless of space and time."

Vicki's lips parted slightly. "Then it _is_ a time machine?"

I smiled, nodding in affirmation. "And, if you like adventure, my dear, I can promise you an abundance of it. Apart from all that, well, you'll be amongst friends. Well?"

Vicki's moment of awe evaporated almost immediately; she looked somewhat overwhelmed.  
I faltered, perhaps I was too hasty.  
"Well, suppose I leave you here for a moment to think about it, hmm?" I offered, getting to my feet and hurrying back into the cave before Vicki could respond.

Better get an opinion from the peanut gallery.

When I reentered the TARDIS, I found Terna, Ian, and Barbara all standing close together, apparently arguing about something.

They looked up as I approached. "Doctor?" Barbara asked.

"Yes?"

"We were talking about Vicki, and we were wondering whether-" she faltered, looking to Ian for confirmation.

"Yes, do you think uh, Vicki…" the human man started, but Terna cut him off.

"Stop! I know what you're going to say, Ian. I don't think it's a good idea. Let her go back to her own planet," she added of Vicki, flicking her hand dismissively.

My eyes widened in surprise; Terna hadn't so abrasively and openly objected to something in a long while.

"But she has no one, Terna," Barbara exclaimed, surprised as well, "How could you be so cold?"

Terna glared at her, "Because I know the reason you all want her to come alone." She then fixed her sapphire gaze directly on me, "She's not Susan. She never will be Susan. No one can, no one could replace her."

"Oh, my dear, Terna, even if that were the case, which it isn't, I assure you," I astutely asserted, "Vicki will have no way off Dido, remember? The rescue ship has been called off."

The Lyall faltered, dropping her eyes almost immediately afterwards. I could see submission in them. "Oh-Oh very well, just don't expect me to be happy about this," she grumbled, crossing her arms.

"Good. Then we've all reached the same decision," I exclaimed, clapping my hands together, "Now, let's see what the child thinks?" I then opened the TARDIS doors and called out into the cave. "Vicki? Vicki, my dear, come in."

A moment later, the young human girl stepped into the seemingly unassuming time machine for the first time. Her jaw fell to the floor and her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as she gazed around, utterly astonished. "But its huge!" she cried, "And, well, the outside is just, well…"

She faltered, seemingly overwhelmed.

Barbara smiled warmly as she approached her, "Vicki, are you going to come with us?"

The young girl blinked, surprised before her expression morphed into the most lovely of smiles.  
"Oh I, I'd like to. Yes, if you'll have me."

()()()

We took off a short time later. Vicki was exuberant once she was informed of this; the girl was like a kid in a candy store. She could hardly keep her hands out of anything, for better or worse.

Eventually, I recommended Barbara and Ian give Vicki a tour of the ship's main facilities, figuring their human input would outdo my own, and also give me time to concentrate on flying the ship.

Terna hung back, still looking decidedly put out as she sat stiffly on the Egyptian throne, arms and legs cross and scowling at the far wall.

We sat in a tense silence for a few moments, only interrupted by the rhythmic humming of the TARDIS instruments.

After a lengthy pause, Terna finally spoke up: "She isn't Susan, Doctor."

I glance up, shocked at her words. No, of course not. Of course Vicki wasn't Susan. They were two completely different girls; Vicki was human, she was nothing like my young Time Lady Arkytior. It didn't matter that they were both sweet, kind, selfless, caring, innocent…  
Oh, but there hair was completely different.

"Oh, I know. I know," I said to Terna.

She raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Do you?"

I gritted my teeth, frustrated at my transparency. I flicked the ship into autopilot with more force than perhaps was necessary, and rounded on Terna, still curtly studying me from her spot on the throne.  
"Listen, my dear Terna, I think you could understand this better than anyone," I declared, "Due to past circumstances in my life, I see it almost as a necessity to have someone to care for and Vicki is someone who needs to be cared for. You understand what I'm say, don't you?"

Terna's eyes widened before she hastily averted her gaze. Perhaps I had raised the same level of discomfort in her.  
"I suppose so," she finally admitted.

I nodded, satisfied before turning back to the console, pressing a few more buttons.  
"We shall be materializing quite soon," I declared, visibly peaking Terna's curiosity, and she immediately jumped up and moved over for a better look. "Perhaps we shall be able to get a rest this time."

The Lyall smiled tiredly. "That'd be nice."

I nodded, pulling a few more leavers before the ship gave one final lurch, and then set itself down.  
"There we are," I declared, "Safely down."

I then immediately moved to begin the post-landing safety measures and was just about to turn on the scanner when Terna suddenly grabbed my arm, leaning on me rather heavily as though she was trying to steady herself.

"What's that movement, Doctor?"

"Hmm?"

"Well, surely you can feel it?" Terna tipped sporadically towards me, nearly knocking me off my feet.

"What movement?" I cried just as I too began to feel like the TARDIS was tipping dangerously towards one end as though it was balance precariously on the precipice of some cliff.

A second later, Ian, Barbara, and Vicki entered, all struggling to stay upright as the time machine tipped dramatically.

"Doctor! What's happening?" Barbara cried, stumbling heavily.

"Take off again, Doctor!" Ian cried as I grabbed the console to steady myself.

"Hold on, hold on!" I urged them, struggling to grasp the controls, but it was too late, "Hold on!"

At my words, the TARDIS gave one final lurch before losing its balance and tumbling over the edge.

* * *

A/N: So, Vicki's on board now, and Terna's not really happy about it, seeing her as nothing more than a cheap 'replacement' of Susan (which, I mean, she was). Will that bitterness continue? Wait and see, and be sure to leave a review on your way out :)

Next Week: The Romans


	18. The Romans

A/N:

From: Cupcake  
Q: I can't wait for the chapter of the 2005 doctor who series! It's going to be so cool, and keep up the good work  
A: Thanks! It may be a while yet until we get there (obviously) but there's plenty of cool stuff in store. I appreciate the compliment:)

* * *

Chapter 18: The Romans

* * *

The sun had just finished settling into the clear blue sky, and its light was shining down on another beautiful summer day in the Roman Empire. On a remote hilltop sat a large villa where, on its porch, Ian was reclining, dressed in a toga and eating a generous helping of grapes.  
The Doctor, also dressed in local garb, was watering the potted plants that lined the space, but he paused in his actions when he spotted Ian munching away.  
"So you're awake at last, young man?"

Ian rolled his eyes.  
"No need to say it like that, Doctor. I thought the whole idea of us coming here was that we should all have a nice rest."

The Doctor sighed in slight exasperation as he set down the vase he'd been using as a watering can.  
"My dear boy, there's a great deal of difference between resting and being sort of bone idle."

"Have a grape," Ian replied, ignoring his quip.

"No, thank you; I've had my breakfast." The Doctor replied before going back to the plants and resuming their watering.

"Where are Barbara, Terna, and Vicki?" Ian inquired, getting to his feet and walking over to him. "Have they gone down to the village? Don't you think that plant's had enough water, Doctor?"

The Time Lord chuckled. "The answer, dear boy, is pipes."

"Pipes?"

"Pipes, Chesterton, pipes!"

"Oh."

"You see, the Romans, unfortunately, didn't know how to transport water satisfactorily. That's why they built their aqueducts. Now, if they'd experimented with pipes."

Ian nodded in understanding, "Oh, I see what you're getting at, yes."

"Good, good, yes, yes," the Doctor commended, "They have," he added.

Ian blinked, "I beg your pardon?"

"My dear young man, why do you let your mind wander so? You asked me just now if Barbara, Terna, and Vicki had gone down to the village; I gave you a plain and simple answer: Yes, they have. Or, at least Barbara and Vicki have; I believe Terna's still asleep."

Ian snorted, "Oh, so you give me a hard time about sleeping in late, but Terna's free to do as she likes?"

"My dear Chesteron, do try to be more understanding," the Doctor chided, "We've been away from the TARDIS for a few weeks now, and Terna's starting to feel its absence, making her energy a little low. A few hours' extra sleep is crucial for her if she is to recuperate properly."

Ian rolled his eyes, "I think you just favor her."

"Oh hush."

()()()

Vicki skipped along the paved road leading from the villa to the town square, full of energy and picking wildflowers as she went; meanwhile, Barbara trailed behind her at a much more leisurely pace.

The young girl began to grow impatient. "Come on, Barbara!"

Barbara sighed.  
"Oh, Vicki, there's no need to be in such a hurry. The village isn't going to run away. Phew, it's so hot," she added, wiping at her brow.

"It's just that I want to get there before the market closes," Vicki insisted.

"All right, we'll get there, but not so fast," Barbara exclaimed before sitting down on a stone bench just off the path.

Vicki groaned, hurrying back over to tug pointedly on her arm, "Oh, come on. Honestly, you're getting as bad as Ian."

Barbara's eyes narrowed. "Oh, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, the way you spoke, I thought we were going to have adventures and see things," Vicki explained, plopping down on the bench beside her, "We've been here nearly a month, and all everyone wants to do is sit around and rest."

Barbara shook her head; the girl was understandably naïve about their situation.  
"Oh, Vicki. Look, the adventures come without us looking for them. And you're finding out what it was like to live in Roman times."

"Oh, yes, in one little village miles away from Rome," Vicki replied sarcastically. "How much longer do you think the Doctor will want to stay here, Barbara?"

"Oh, I've no idea," Barbara replied, shrugging as she got to her feet and continued on her way down the path, "You can never tell with the Doctor. You just have to wait and see."

Vicki, always a bundle of energy and questions, skipped along after her, "What are you going to buy at the market?"

()()()

The high noon sun beat against the cream stones of the villa; while Ian went off for a walk, the Doctor stayed out of the heat, dozing on a bench in the shadow of one of the pillars.  
He had just nearly dropped off to sleep when a voice jerked him out of his haze.  
"Doctor? Doctor, are you awake?"

The Doctor grunted. "I am now." He opened his eyes, squinting through the bright light to see Terna standing over him, her blue eyes shining in the iridescence of the sun.  
The Lyall seemed to wear Rome well as she was dressed in a most suitable white toga with a blue and gold-trimmed sash draped over one shoulder; her blonde hair was crimped and pinned behind one ear with a silver clip. Although the Doctor would never admit this out loud, Terna looked prettier than usual.  
"Doctor, I've had my fill of this."

The Time Lord sighed, rubbing his eyes sleepily, "Oh my dear Terna, if you don't like Barbara's cooking, you can always-"

"Don't give me that," Terna snapped, cutting him off, "You said we were going to stay in Rome only a week at the most, but it's been nearly a month! When are we leaving?"

"Oh, there is hardly any rush," the Doctor proclaimed.

"Any rush!" Terna exclaimed, "Maybe not for you, but need I remind you that I still need to locate my people: the Lyall that survived the fall of Renaissance, and you promised you'd help me."

"I shall, my dear, and I have," the Doctor explained, "But we can't continue to rush about the universe going from one place to another without a break in between; we'll waste away. Even you cannot go on forever."

Terna opened her mouth to respond, but then closed it again. With a huff, she crossed her arms and sat down on the chair next to the Doctor, her expression sour.

The Doctor looked at her as he sat up.  
"Do not fret, Terna," he reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Time is ours for the taking, and if the people of your world are as strong and resilient as you then I wouldn't worry. You need your rest too from time to time; you must think of yourself."

Terna shook her head as she pulled away from him and got to her feet, "I did think of myself; that's the whole problem."

With that, she turned and left.

()()()

The town marketplace was a bustling display, accented by the music of a white-haired lyre player. As the other patrons of the market enriched themselves in the tune while shopping for goods, two men in heavy cloaks hung back in the shadows, intently watching the crowd.

The smaller of the two, sporting a beard, turned to his comrade.  
"This is too small a place, Sevcheria. I can't see us finding what we want here."

Sevcheria, a bigger man with a deep voice, shook his head, "It's our last chance before Rome, Didius."

"Why? We pass through much bigger towns," Didius reminded him.

"Yes, and with legal representation," Sevcheria asserted, "If we raid them, the repercussions will put us out of business."

"Then let's go back."

Sevcheria glared at him. "The slaves we've already brought from Gaul are in no condition for further travel, and the quality is such we shall have to take far below the market price as it is."

At that moment, two people moved past the two traders view; one was a young woman with dark eyes and hair, the other a young girl with sandy blonde hair.

Sevcheria subtly gestured in their direction.

Didius nodded, "The two women. Yes, very suitable, I agree, but I doubt even the possibility."

"It will do no harm to make enquiries, Didius."

As they spoke, the woman and girl approached a cloth stand. The younger of the two examined a shining purple fabric.  
"This would make a nice dress. Don't you think so, Barbara?"

"Are you any good at dressmaking, Vicki?" the woman called Barbara inquired.

"No, but I thought you might be," the girl, Vicki, replied.

"Oh, I see. Well, what sort of style would you like?"

Vicki shrugged. "I don't know. What were the fashions like when you left London?"

Barbara smirked. "London? Never heard of it."

"But you told me that that's where you came from," Vicki insisted.

Barbara smiled slyly, "Ah, you mean Londinium. When in Rome."

At that moment, the elderly seller of the cloth stand approached them, "Can I help you?"

"Yes, how much is this, please?" Vicki inquired of her.

"Well, now, what would you consider to be a fair price?" the Seller replied, "Bearing in mind it's the only length of its kind and the finest quality available."

"Yes, I know but how much are you asking?" Vicki demanded.

The Seller smiled, "Well, it's very difficult to put a price on something like this. It's very hard to come by."

"Yes, I'm sure it is," Barbara cut in, taking Vicki's arm and leading her away from the cloth stand, "We'll think about it and come back later."

"Hey, one moment, please!" the Seller protested.

"Barbara, please, can't we buy it?" Vicki exclaimed.

"You should have learned by now that the price is much fairer when you're not so eager to buy," Barbara reprimanded her.

Vicki wasn't listening. "Can we go back and buy it now?"

"No, not just yet," Barbara replied, leading her away to another stand.

As soon as they left, Sevcheria and Didius approached the cloth maker.  
"Good day to you. A fine selection," the former declared.

"None finer this side of Rome," the woman proclaimed proudly, holding out a sample to the two slavers.

"No, thank you," Sevcheria held up a hand to decline, "My friend and I are not interested in buying cloth today. We are buying information."

The woman raised an eyebrow before leaning in a little closer, eager.

"The two who were just here. Do you know them?" Didius inquired.

"By sight, not name," the woman replied.

"But they do live here?"

"Yes. They moved into a villa just north of the town about a month ago. The owner, Flavius Guiscard, is away campaigning in Gaul. We reckon they're friends of his looking after the house."

"How many of them are there?" Sevcheria asked.

The woman held out her hand expectantly, and he quickly dropped a small pile of gold coins into her palm.

"Five. There are two men and another woman with them."

Didius arched an eyebrow. "Are the men young?"

The woman responded by holding out her hand again and was rewarded with more coins.

"One of them is. They sell the produce from the gardens to the townsfolk here, very cheaply too. They must be fools."

"But you've no idea where they come from?" Sevcheria asked.

The woman shook her head.  
"None. At least, not until today." She smiled slyly, holding out her hand, and Sevcheria handed her one more coin, "One of the women mentioned a town. Londinium, I think she said. Do you know it?"

Sevcheria smirked and nodded. "Thank you. You have been most helpful."

"The town they spoke of is in a place they call Britannia," Didius remarked as the two walked away from the stand.

Sevcheria nodded, still smiling. "They are Britons. Perfect."

()()()

After Vicki and Barbara had returned from the market, Terna and the latter got to work on dinner which turned out to be quite the extravagant affair.  
The five time travelers all sat around a low table, reclining on sofas in the courtyard of the villa as the sky was slowly stained pink and orange from the steadily setting sun.

"Wonderful feast, my dears," the Doctor commended, laying down his fork across his empty plate, "I don't know when I've enjoyed a meal more. What was it?"

"Well, the main course was breast of peacock," Barbara began.

"Delicious," Ian declared.

"With an orange and juniper sauce," Terna added.

"Oh, exquisite," the Doctor exclaimed.

"Garnished with larks' tongues and baked pomegranates," Barbara concluded.

"Oh, fabulous, my dears, absolutely fabulous," the Doctor cried, "What was it we had before, the sort of hors d'oeuvres, so to speak?"

Terna chuckled. "That isn't its name; French hasn't been invented yet."

"Oh, hush, Terna," the Doctor lightly chided, "Barbara, what was it? Hmm?"

"Ant's eggs in hibiscus honey."

"Oh, absolutely splendid."

"Doctor, there's one thing I wanted to ask you," Ian interjected.

"Well, go ahead, my boy."

"Now, uh, what about the TARDIS?"

"What about it, hmm?"

"Well, don't you think we ought to go and have a look at it?"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you want to move on, do you?"

"Move on? Certainly not. I'd like to stay here as long as possible," Ian asserted.

"I wouldn't, but no one seems to care what I think," Terna grumbled under her breath.

"Good, that's settled," the Doctor proclaimed.

"All the same, Doctor, I know what Ian means," Barbara piped up, "It's been three or four weeks since we left the TARDIS."

"Yes, it's not even the right way up," Ian added, recalling how the TARDIS had fallen off a small cliff and landed in a ditch on its side, now thoroughly covered in brambles and vines.

The Doctor sighed, slightly exasperated. "How many times do I have to tell you that the TARDIS is quite safe where it is? It can take off from any angle. I've never known such a pair of worriers."

"I agree with Terna about moving on," Vicki suddenly declared, having overheard the Lyall's remark due to sitting next to her (much to Terna's dislike).

She was, however, surprised the young girl agreed with her. "You do?"

Vicki shrugged. "Yes, well, it's all right living here, but it's boring! No wonder you get so irritable."

Terna scowled. "Irritable! You little-"

She started to rise to her feet, but the Doctor put a hand on her arm to stop her.  
"Now you two, that's enough. Honestly, if you can't learn to get along then where will we all be?"

"Not the TARDIS unfortunately," Terna grumbled, slumping back down into her seat and crossing her arms.

"Listen to me, Terna-" the Doctor started, but she cut him off.

"No, you listen to me. I have a proposition for you."

The Doctor faltered, surprised. "Oh really?"

"This is gonna be good," Ian whispered to Barbara.

"Yes, and it's this," Terna continued, "Let's go to Rome."

"Rome? What on Earth for?" Barbara demanded.

"Because I know the Doctor's just itching to see it? Aren't you?" Terna replied.

The Doctor faltered, "Well, I…"

"It is all he's talked about since we came here," Vicki recalled, "And I don't blame him. It's supposedly the most amazing city in the world."

"I don't believe I asked you," Terna snapped at her, "Anyways, how about you and I got to Rome for a few days, Doctor? I'll admit I'm rather curious about the city myself for no other reason than that this entire empire reminds me a great deal of the one my own people had, so let's go to the capitol to settle our curiosities and then once we're through, we leave. After Rome, very little of the empire will stake its claim in comparison, don't you think?" She smiled, confident the Doctor would agree.

He did: "Hmm, that is certainly an idea. Why not! That sounds like a wonderful compromise. It would give Ian and Barbara some more time to relax, and you and I will get to see the sights."

"And me!" Vicki cried, "I want to go to."

"Oh no, you're staying here," Terna shot back, "It's just going to be the Doctor and me."

"Oh, well I don't see any reason why she can't come along," the Doctor asserted.

"Yeah, don't hog Rome all to yourselves!" Vicki added, sticking her tongue out at the Lyall.

"I swear to all that is holy…Alright, fine! But you better be ready to go in no more than an hour. Now I'm going to go pack." With that, Terna got up and stalked out of the room.

As she did so, the Doctor also got to his feet and begins gathering up some of the leftover food laid out on the table to take for the journey.  
"Well, I think these should last me two or three days, hmm? Rome. What a prospect!"

"Don't you think this all a little sudden, Doctor?" Ian asked.

"Nonsense. 'The essence of pleasure is spontaneity', Chesterfield."

"Chester_ton_." Barbara corrected.

"Oh, Barbara's calling you," the Doctor said to Ian dismissively.

Vicki, meanwhile, was sitting in her chair, resting her cheeks on her hands, looking decidedly put out.  
"Man, Terna's so rude. Why did she have to act so sour about me going to Rome with you?"

"Well, you aren't necessarily always a little angel yourself, my dear," the Doctor replied pointedly, "But don't be too hard on Terna; she has a very hard time with change. Give it some time, she'll warm up to you eventually.

As he said this, Terna reentered carrying a rucksack.  
"No I won't, and stop speaking for me."

"Doctor, perhaps we'd all better come with you to Rome," Ian offered.

"But my dear chap, you just turned down the invitation," the Doctor asserted.

"I did?"

"Yes, you said how glad you would be to stay here as long as possible."

"Oh no, Doctor, that was before we knew your plans," Barbara protested, "Don't you think it would be safer if Ian and I-"

The Doctor's brow furrowed. "What's this now? I know what you're insinuating. Yes, that I'm not capable of taking care of myself, eh? Huh! Safer indeed! Afraid to let me out of your sight, are you? Want to be my nursemaids? Well now, let me tell me something. I won't stand for it. Indeed, I will not stand for it. You want to go to Rome? Go. Go yourselves," he thundered, waving a flippant hand in their direction.

"Doctor, will you stop throwing a temper tantrum," Terna called from the doorway.

"Yeah, you sound like Terna," Vicki added, grinning mischievously.

Terna glared at her. "One more word out of you, and I'll hit you with my Omni-Vice."

"Alright, you two, come along," the Doctor once again interrupted their bickering, "Let's set about our packing, shall we? Come on, then. You know, I think you'll like Rome. Rome is fascinating, most interesting. Of course, I've never been myself but…" His voice faded out as the three left the room leaving Barbara and Ian sitting at the now empty table.

"Well, I certainly said the wrong thing," the former declared.

"Oh, don't worry, Barbara. Anything you'd said would have been wrong," Ian assured her.

She shrugged. "I suppose we're lucky really to have stayed in one place as long as we have."

"True, true," Ian agreed, "Still, he can say what he likes. He's enjoyed this rest as much as any of us."

He faltered when he saw Barbara intently looking at him.  
"What's the matter? My slip showing?"

Barbara smiled. "No, I was just thinking what a splendid looking Roman you make."

Ian felt his cheeks redden. "Oh. Well, yes, if I wasn't so modest, I'd agree with you."

"It's a pity there's just one thing out of place," Barbara declared.

"Oh, where?"

"That hair."

Ian blinked, confused.

"It just doesn't go with those clothes."

"Oh, yes, I know that but I-."

"Come and sit down," Barbara urged, cutting Ian off as she patted the spot beside her on the couch.

"Why?" Ian asked, doing it anyways.

Barbara responded by getting a comb with very long teeth out of her bag.

Ian recoiled slightly; the thing looked almost menacing. The Romans had perfected many things but certainly not the art of comb-making.  
"Now just a minute, Barbara."

"It won't hurt," she assured him, "I got it in the market especially for you."

"Yes, but which market?" Ian asked, shying away as she reached towards him, sliding further and further backward until he finally fell off his seat. "Ow!"

"Oh, don't be such a baby," Barbara chided as he scrambled back to his feet. "Come here."

Finally relenting, Ian scooted closer to Barbara on the floor as she bent down and neatly combed his hair forward 'Roman-style'.

"How long do you think the Doctor, Terna and Vicki will be away?" Ian asked as she worked.

"No idea. Why?"

"Well, the owner of this house could come back before they do. I-Ouch! That hurts, you know!" he cried as Barbara pulled on a slightly tangled strand.

"Sorry. Well, if he does come back, we can always go back to the TARDIS. There. How's that?" she added, pulling back to examine her handiwork.

"Feels awful," Ian grumbled, pouting slightly. God, he missed hair gel.

Barbara rolled her eyes at his dramatics. "Well, why don't you go and look in the spring?"

Ian did so, getting to his feet and walking over to the fountain burbling in the corner of the courtyard, leaning over the crystalline waters to examine his reflection.  
"Hey, that's not too bad," he exclaimed, his expression brightening.

"Well, it's all part of the service. I take in washing too," Barbara joked as Ian continued to inspect his new appearance.

"Not bad at all," he smirked before tossing his sash over his shoulder, "Friends, Romans, countrymen! Lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him," he called out to the dusk in true Shakespearean exuberance, parading around the villa.

Barbara sighed at his antics. "Oh boy, that was a mistake."

()()()

On the roadside just outside the hilltop villa, Didius and Sevcheria lie in wait.  
The former approaches the latter, who was standing watch, from a small huddled group of disheveled human beings with matted hair and filfthy clothes crowded together in a mess of chains, their eyes staring dismally.

"I've finished feeding them, Sevcheria."

"Good. They need all the fattening they can get. Not many in the consignment is there?"

Didius nodded in agreement. "They're a poor looking bunch."

Sevcheria shook his head. "Ah well, if we're to get the five from the villa, we'd better get moving."

Didus nodded, following his collegue into their tent where they collect their swords.

"As soon as we get back, we'll break camp," Sevcheria continued, "We shall be away from here tonight."

"Before any local enquiries arise, is that the idea?" Didius asked.

"We'll make a slave trader of you yet, Didius," Sevcheria replied with a smirk, "Come on. Let's get them."

()()()

Ian and Barbara reclined on the sofas in the villa courtyard, drinking wine and watching the air turn from pink to purple as the sun sunk deeper in the sky.  
"You know, Ian; I could get used to this sort of life."

"Mmm," Ian nodded in agreement as he reached for the bottle of wine, "I already have. What about another drink?"

"Oh, yes, I'd love one. Thank you," Barbara replied, holding out her glass, so he could refill it.

"No ice, I'm afraid," Ian remarked of the somewhat warm drink.

"There's some in the fridge," Barbara replied, sipping her drink.

"Ah," Ian got up and started to leave the room before the penny dropped.  
He turned back around to find Barbara sniggering into her hand.

"Very funny, very funny."

"You went!" she cried, still giggling fiercely.

Ian rolled his eyes before raising his glass as he sat back down. "Well, here's to the first fridge."

Barbara did so as well. "Cheers."

"O tempora, o mores."

There was a sudden loud 'thud', making Ian nearly drop his drink.  
"Did you hear something, Barbara?"

"No. Like what?"

"There's someone out there," Ian proclaimed quietly, cautiously setting down his glass and rising to his feet.

"No, you must be imagining things," Barbara urged, but she still looked nervous.

"No, no, I'm not," Ian insisted, hastily moving forward and calling out into the night, "Who's there? What do you want?"

He swung around when a dark-haired man burst into the room from the door behind them, sword drawn.  
"Who are you?"

"Ian!?" Barbara cried, jumping to her feet just as a taller, lighter-haired man stepped out of the darkness.

"Where are the others?" he demanded.

"They're not here; they've gone away," Barbara replied quickly.

"We can explain, if you put up your swords," Ian added.

Sevcheria snorted. "Did you hear that, Didius? They can explain."

Sensing their distraction, Ian took the opportunity to seize Didius by the shoulders and toss him into the fountain.

He toppled in headfirst, spraying freezing water everywhere as Ian rounded on Barbara.  
"Run!"

Sevcheria got between them, swinging his sword; Ian dodged the blow and attempting to push him back.  
Barbara picked up a vase amidst the struggle, raising her head as she waited for Ian's opponent to come into her sights, but she swung too soon. The vase shattered around Ian's head as he stiffened before crumpling to the floor.

Barbara gasp, stricken with horror as tears brimmed in her eyes.  
"Oh, Ian! Ian!"

She tried to go to him, but doesn't get far as Sevcheria grabbed her and tossed her, kicking and screaming, over his shoulder.  
"Lets get them back to the camp."

"Ian, wake up!" Barbara sobbed as she was hauled out of the villa, but he didn't move.

()()()

It really was getting late. The air was grey, and a few pale stars were bleeding through the veil of the steadily darkening sky.  
The Doctor, Terna, and Vicki walked along the beaten path at a leisurely pace. There were no other travelers on the road, which the Doctor had explained was because their particular route was a less used highway, but that all roads led to Rome in the end.

"Well, what have we here?" the Time Lord wondered aloud, pausing before a life-sized marble statue standing just off the path; it was old and decrepit in places, its paint peeling and arms missing.

"Just another dreary old statue," Vicki grumbled, having quickly grown bored of them as this one was the eighth one they'd passed.

"No, it might be somebody famous, my child," the Doctor asserted.

Terna, who had moved a few steps ahead as the other two idled by the stone figure, suddenly froze, her intense blue eyes, unhindered by the dusk, having spotted a pair of feet sticking out of the thick scrub brush lining the path.

"Hold up. What's that?" she called to the Doctor and Vicki, holding up a hand to stop them from following her. "Wait here."

Transforming her Omni-Vice into a sword, she slowly crept over towards the bushes where the stranger was lying. Pushing aside the brambles, Terna looked down at the dismal sight of an elderly, white-haired man lying on his back in the grass, a bloodied knife wound visible through his clothes.

"Doctor, there's a body over here," she called over her shoulder.

Intrigued, Vicki rushed over, peering under Terna's arm to catch a glimpse.  
"Oh, the poor man."

"Tragic indeed," the Doctor agreed as he approached, "And what's worse, his death doesn't look a natural death to me."

"It's a lonely stretch of road. Maybe he was set upon by robbers?" Vicki inferred, "That did happen in this time, didn't it?"

"It did, my dear, yes, but that isn't the answer here," the Doctor asserted, stooping to pick up an object lying beside the man; a light dusting revealed it to be an ornately carved string instrument. "You see? They've left his belongings."

"Maybe they didn't have time."

"Oh, they had plenty of time, enough to drag him off the road," Terna retorted, "And like you said, not many people come this way."

"Doctor, I've seen him before," Vicki suddenly exclaimed, "He was playing in the square when Barbara and I went to the market."

"Yes, well, there's nothing we can do for him now, my dear," the Doctor declare solemnly, still fingering the instrument, "No, nothing at all."

The sound of hoof beats steadily growing in volume alerted all of them to a darkened figure coming down the road.

They did not appear to have noticed them yet as they were somewhat concealed by the thick bushes.  
"Someone's coming," Terna hissed, putting one hand between the figure and the Doctor and Vicki protectively while tightly gripping her sword with the other.

The Doctor grabbed her elbow, redirecting her attention. "Steady. I'll go; I'm less conspicuous."

"But what if it's the person who killed him?" Terna protested, "He had no problem there, I doubt he'd-Doctor!" she cried as he brushed past her, ignoring her resignations.

"Stay there," he called back to her and Vicki.

"Be careful," the latter whispered.

"Good evening," the Doctor called to the man on horseback, who drew up his mount as the Time Lord stepped in front of his path. "Are you looking for somebody?"

The man, clothed in centurion armor, abruptly drew his sword and pointed it at the Doctor, causing Terna to nearly leap out of the bushes, but Vicki held her back.  
The Centurion narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he scrutinized the little white-haired man smiling up at him.  
"Why, yes, I am," he eventually replied after a pause.

"Tell me, do you always wave that sword about like that?" the Doctor demanded, pointing to the rather large blade.

The Centurion looked confused. "What do you mean?"

The Doctor smiled. "Well, you can easily kill someone. Swords are dangerous, you know?"

The Centurion sheathed his sword.

"Yes, yes, thank you, that's better. Now tell me: who or what, uh, were you looking for?"

The Centurion didn't respond; he was keenly observing the dead man's stringed instrument the Doctor was still holding.  
"Is that your lyre?"

"Why? Have you lost one?" the Doctor asked suspiciously.

"No, no, only if it is yours?"

"And what if it is, hmm?"

"Why, it's you I'm looking for," the Centurion declared, hopping down from his horse.

The Doctor tried to mask his surprise. "Oh? Oh, I see. Yes."

The Centurion nodded, crossing his fist over his chest respectfully. "You must be Maximus Pettulian from Corinth, whose skill as a musician is talked of even in Rome."

The Doctor grinned, "Really? Most interesting."

"We expected you in Assessium yesterday," the Centurion continued, "When you failed to arrive, I sent my men out to search for you. I count it my good fortune that I've personally found you unharmed."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "If I am the man you're looking for, tell me: why should I be harmed, hmm?"

"All roads to Rome are dangerous for travelers," the Centurion explained, "When you sent word that you intended to make your way on foot, playing your lyre for the people, it caused great concern at court."

The Doctor's eyes widened, "At court?"

"Caesar Nero's court," the other man replied as though this were obvious, "The Emperor of all Rome is very concerned for your safe arrival. He looks forward to discussing your music with you."

"The Emperor Nero, eh?" the Doctor chuckled, "Ha, ha, yes, of course, I have heard that he plucks a string or two."

Seeing there was no longer any immediate harm, Terna stepped out of her and Vicki's hiding place. "What's going on?"

The Centurion half-reached for his sword. "Who are they?"

"Oh yes, this woman and the child, they travel with me," the Doctor quickly explained as Vicki came into view as well. "Tend to the simple things, you know?"

"Then if you're ready, we'll travel to Assessium, and then my men will escort you the rest of the way," the Centurion declared, hopping back onto his horse.

"Very well, we'll just attend to our imprimatur," the Doctor said before turning back to Terna and Vicki.

"Doctor, what's going on?" the latter inquired.

"He seems to believe me for the lyre player," the Doctor explained in hushed voice, "He said that Nero himself wishes to see me. At court, I must be very important." He chuckled at the thought.

Terna crossed her arms, her expression conveying disapproval. "Surely you're not thinking of going with him?"

"But why not, my dear? I'm sure he knows more about this business than he admits, and we shall never get a better chance of meeting Nero," the Doctor proclaimed with a sly smile.

"But Doctor," Vicki protested, "You don't even know your own name."

"Oh, of course I do, my dear. It's…It's…"

"Maximus Pettulian?" the Centurion called from his mount, "If you're ready?"

"Oh, yes, yes, quite," the Doctor quickly replied. "Come along, you two."

With that, the three travelers followed the Roman soldier down the lonely road.

()()()

In the slave tent, Barbara and Ian sat huddled beside the other filthy unfortunates, watching Sevcheria and Didus talk with a prospective buyer.

"Quite a stroke of luck meeting your train here, it'll save me a trip into Rome."

"Always assuming we can reach a satisfactory agreement," Sevcheria reminded the man.

I'll give you a fair price," the buyer insisted, "We need the replacements urgently."

"Three, you say?"

"Yes," the buyer replied, smiling slyly as he surveyed the dismal line of haggard humans, his eyes finally falling on undoubtedly the prettiest and cleanest of the lot, "How much for the British woman?"

"More than you can afford, friend," Didus replied pointedly.

"The woman goes with us to Rome," Sevcheria added, "You can follow and bid if you like."

The buyer shook his head, shrugging. "No harm in asking, I say. All right, three men. Seven hundred."

Didus grinned, holding out his hand as the other man fished around in his purse, the distinct sound of golden coins clinking together. "Each?"

As the buyer hands the money over to the two slave traders, Ian fidgeted with the shackles bound around his ankles and wrists. After several trying minutes, he finally threw his chains down in frustration, finding himself unable to remove them.  
"No good. We'll have to try something else."

"Yes," Barbara agreed, casting a nervous glance in the direction of the three men.

Ian tapped her shoulder to redirect her attention.  
"They say we're going to move tonight, Barbara," he informed her in a low voice, "We'll escape then."

Barbara faltered, her eyes glassy as she stared at the unbreakable chains encircling her. "Will we?"

"Barbara, I know it looks bad, but-" Ian started, but she cut him off.

"Bad?" Barbara whimpered, "Have you any idea how the Roman's treated their slaves? Or how many of them escaped? Besides, time is against us."

Ian slowly nodded, a grave look crossing his face. "The others."

"I haven't been able to think about anything else," Barbara added, "When Doctor, Terna, and Vicki get back from Rome and-."

"They'll wait for us," Ian insisted, "They must wait for us."

"Oh, yes, they'll wait for us but for how long?"

Before Barbara could respond, Didius approached, causing them both to fall immediately silent. The dark-haired slaver knelt down to inspect Ian's shackles, finding small cracks in the iron, indicating he'd been attempting to remove them.

Didius scowled, slapping Ian across the face.

While that was going on, the buyer was handing a generous handful of money to Sevcheria, somewhat reluctant at the new price.  
"A thousand it is, and I have the choice."

Sevcheria smirked, pocketing the gold, "Thank you. You've done yourself a good night's work."

The other man glowered, "You're robbing me, and you know it."

Sevcheria's smile broadened as he threw his arm around the other man's shoulders and lead him over to the slaves.  
"Come on. Let's inspect the goods."

The buyer examined the miserable line of decrepit humans.  
"I'll have these two." He then pointed to Ian, "And that one."

"Didius?" Sevcheria turned to his partner as he was closer, and he unshackled Ian's chains.

He then grabbed hold of Ian by the shoulder and roughly pulled him to his feet, throwing him towards his new owner. A silent gasp escaped Barbara's lips as the reality of what was happening began to unfold. She tried to get to her feet, but stumbled over her chains as the man took Ian and began to lead him away.

Once again trying to stand, Barbara found doing so this time disrupted by Sevcheria placing a pointed hand on her shoulder, squeezing it well beyond the point of discomfort.  
"Don't forget. You can bid for the woman in Rome, if you like.

Ian cast a frantic glance over his shoulder as he was dragged away. "Rome. I'll look for you in Rome!"

His buyer barked a laugh. "Rome? I shan't be going anywhere near Rome. Come on then, march!"

Barbara watched, stricken and horrified as Ian was led away from her sights. It was a moment longer before the words finally escaped her lips, and she started screaming, "Ian! Ian!"

()()()

The villa in Assessium was a pleasant, tranquil environment meant for rest and relaxation, all except for one Roman Centurion, who was frantically pacing the room in agitation.

Another man, small and mousy, watched him with wide, silent eyes.

"You fool!" the Centurion barked at him, "I went to where the body should have been and there he was alive."

The assassin frantically shook his head, unable to speak as he had been nearly all his life.

The Centurion waved off his voiceless attempts to explain himself, running his fingers through his tousled hair.  
"Nero pays well when better musicians than he are put out of the way, and you failed, you fool! But you're lucky this time. I brought him back here so you have another chance to earn your fee. Take it. Maximus Pettulian is in the room above. Fail me again and you'll lose more than your tongue."

Nodding frantically, the assassin pocketed his blade and headed out of the room and up the stairs towards the suite where his target sat waiting.  
As he climbed the steps, he could hear the distant whine of inexperienced strumming.

"Would you stop that?" a woman's voice snapped, "I'm sure even Nero can play better than that!"

()()()

"The answer is of course, is not to be caught playing it," the Doctor declared, setting down the lyre.

Terna, who'd been anxiously pacing the room, froze, her eyes widening.

"Doctor!" there was a flash of gold and then the loud clanging of metal as the Lyall's sword connected with the blade of the intruder, who'd attempted to attack the Doctor from behind.

The Time Lord fumbled backwards with a cry of surprise, toppling off the bed as the would-be assassin attempted to knock Terna's weapon from her grasp.  
She parried the attack, gritting her teeth in frustration.  
"I knew all this was a bad idea."

After a moment more of struggling, Terna managed to disarm her opponent, knocking the sword from his hand. It clattered to the floor as they both made a dive for it, but the man tipped over a vase, tripping Terna up.

The Lyall flew backward, landing hard on her back just as the assassin grabbed his sword

"Terna, watch out!" the Doctor snatched a glass of wine off the table and tossed the violet liquid in the man's face. He recoiled with a yell, dropping his sword again as he fell to his knees.

Blinking rapidly, he snatched up his weapon as Terna leapt back up, struggling to deflect the blow as the blade of her opponent's sword nicked at her shoulder.

Terna grimaced in pain just as Vicki sprinted into the room.  
"What's happening?"

Hoping to help, the young girl picked up an amphora, while Terna continued to fight one handed.  
At an advantage, the assassin managed to push her against the wall, bearing his sword and body down on top of her, bending her backwards over the windowsill as he attempted to push her out over the side.

"Terna!" the Doctor snatched the amphora out of Vicki's hand and rain forward, raising the large ceramic pot over his head and bringing it down hard against the assasin's head. The man went rigid as the vase shattered around him; after a pause, he crumbled forward. Terna had just enough time to dive out of the way before the man slid out the window and down into the bushes below.

"I appreciate your help, my dear," the Doctor commended, handing the remains of the broken amphora back to Vicki.

She looked to him in confusion. "You're alright then?"

"Alright? Of course, I'm all right, my child," the Doctor replied before going over to Terna, who was struggling to get to her feet. "Easy, easy," he urged her, grabbing her arm to steady her and leading her away from the window, "Now come sit down and let me take a look at that."  
Terna obliged, sitting down on the edge of the bed as the Doctor inspected her wound.  
"Dear, dear, we shall have to dress this immediately. Vicki, go and fetch some bandages," he added to the young girl, "Right, off you go."

She quickly hurried away while the Doctor wet a cloth in the remaining wine.  
"Hold still. This might sting a little," he said as he pressed the cloth against the Lyall's shoulder.

She winced, "You weren't kidding."

The Doctor smiled as he gently dabbed the gash. "I must commend you, my dear. I do believe you've saved my life."

Terna chuckled. "Seems to be a regular occurrence."

The Doctor nodded in agreement. "Indeed. I don't know where I'd be without you."

"The bottom of a ditch somewhere." Terna replied simply, "There, that's fine," she added, getting up and going over to the window, leaning over the side. She gasped, "Doctor, the man's gone!"

"Oh, that's good. For a second, I thought I'd killed him."

"But Doctor, surely we're not going to stay here?"

"Why not? Because of him? Oh, my dear Terna, I don't think he'll come back again. Oh, no. I think I can promise you that."

Terna opened her mouth to respond, but Vicki returned before she could.  
"Doctor, Terna! You know the Centurion who brought us here? He seems to have gone, too."

"Well, I'm not surprised," the Doctor declared, "It was he who obviously hired the man to kill me, or rather to kill this fellow, Maximus-What is it? Uh…"

"Pettulian," Terna and Vicki interjected in unison.

"Yes, yes, of course, yes. I must remember that name. Yes. Well, I think we should all go to sleep now. Goodnight," he turned to leave, but Vicki grabbed his hand to stop him.

"But Doctor, if he wanted you dead, why didn't he take care of it himself?

"Because this way he couldn't be charged with crime," Terna explained as she wound the bandages Vicki had brought around her injured shoulder.

"Yes, but if you were going to be killed anyway," the human girl continued, "I can't see that it makes much of a difference."

"My dear, it was an accepted thing in this age to hire an assassin," the Doctor replied, "Preferably, someone dumb, and then he couldn't denounce you."

"Ah, so he must have been looking in the bushes for the body when we first met him," Vicki surmised.

"Just as I suspected at the time," the Doctor declared, "Now, goodnight. And remember, we make an early start tomorrow."

Vicki's eyes widened. "You don't mean to say we're going on?"

Terna sighed. "Yes, we are."

"But they might try and kill you again!" Vicki said to the Doctor.

"I know," Terna interjected, "That's what I said."

"Well, of course they might, but who am I to worry about such little things like that, hmm?" the Doctor exclaimed, "Now then, there's one thing you've got to learn about me. When I say we go to Rome, then we go to Rome. Goodnight."

()()()

Barbara was exhausted; she'd been walking along the slave train for what felt like weeks. Her whole body ached from the weight of the chains shackled around her ankles and wrists.  
But, at last, their long trek had come to an end, although not exactly in the most inviting of locations.

"Wait here," Sevcheria grunted, shoving some of the more dejected slaves into the large iron cage built into the wall of the building.

One of the woman staggered heavily; she looked exhausted, her face pale and haggard.

Barbara rushed to her aide, gently helping her into a sitting position.  
"Look, there's no more walking. You can rest now."

"Thank you, you're kind," the woman whispered hoarsely, "You're very kind-."  
Her words were cut off by harsh coughing.

Sevcheria watched them from the other side of the bars, examining Barbara up and down. She scowled at his scrutinizing gaze.

"I'll have to see about getting you some new clothes," he finally said, noting Barbara's filthy dress, messy hair, and destroyed shoes

"You needn't bother," she snapped.

Sevcheria smirked at her defiance. "Ah, it's not for your sake. I want you looking special at the slave auction."

He then locked the cage door and left.

"Have we arrived?" the slave woman asked weakly, "Is this Rome?"

"Yes, this is Rome," Barbara replied, "How are you feeling? Are you more comfortable now?"

"Much better. It's just this cough," the woman explained, choking forcefully, "It was a long march. Thirty-four days it took us…Thirty-four days. You said your friend would meet you here," she added when she saw Barbara looking through the bars wistfully.

The woman started. "Did I?"

"Yes. On the road, you told me all about him."

Barbara found herself blushing; truth be told, she'd thought of nothing else since Ian had been lead away.  
"Yes, Ian."

"Strange name," the other woman mused, I've never heard of it before. I hopes he finds you."

Barbara couldn't look away, she couldn't help but stare off into the distance between those iron bars locking her away from the world, away from Ian. She felt her eyes start to prickle with tears.  
"If I ever see him again."

()()()

Ian had always liked sailing, but not here, not like this. Not this torturous backbreaking work aboard a rickety old galley in the middle of the turbulent Mediterranean.

They were only a few miles off shore; Ian and the other slaves had been rowing south for only a few days, but it felt like an eternity.

At the bow of the ship, their master called to them to the beat of a drum.  
"In, out, in, out, in, out, in, out, in, out, in, out, in, out, in, out," the constant chant over and over again, ringing in Ian's ears.  
"Rest!" the man barked and Ian instantly collapsed against his oar, breathing heavily. His hands were numb and rubbed raw, his arms aching from the exertion.  
" That's right, make the best of it," the Master called to his exhausted vassals, "There's supposed to be bad weather coming up."

There was a silent cry of pain that reverberated around the crowded, narrow space; bad weather meant rougher seas, which meant harder rowing.

Ian was not out of shape by any stretch of the imagination, certainly not after all the adventuring he'd done in different eras aboard the TARDIS, but he was already spent.

"Five days, Delos," Ian whispered to the man sitting next to him, "Five whole days."

The other man called Delos, who was a slightly older fellow with a scruff of salty blonde hair and beard, smiled grimly as he looked at the newcomer, "Days, they soon melt into weeks, then months, then years."

"I've got to get away from here." Ian couldn't take it, least of all the rowing. His one thought, the one that had circulated throughout his mind without end since he'd gotten there was to find Barbara, to get back to her and ensure she was safe.

"There's land, Ian," Delos suddenly cried, jerking him from his thoughts, "Ian, there's land. It's a long way."

At his words, everyone in the hull turned to their respective rowlocks to peer out the narrow windows, gazing forlornly at the thin stretch of grey shore set against the horizon.

Ian was no different. "I'm not a great swimmer Delos, but I'll take any risks, believe me."

"If the plan works," Delos reminded him.

Ian grinned. "Ah, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?"

Delos had to admire the other man's optimism. It was one of the reasons he'd agreed to their scheme in the first place; now he had to play his part.

He suddenly gave a loud cry and collapsed Delos over the oar.

"Galley master!" Ian cried, "Galley master! He's dead. Dead!"

Everyone turned towards them, bewildered, as the overseer barreled his way through the crowd. "Move away, let me see."

As he approached, Ian attempted to grab him, but the larger man was ready as he swung his arm and hit his rebellious slave over the head, subduing him.  
"You'll have to do better than that," he said before stalking away.

Delos looked up as he left, their plan now in shambles. "You alright, Ian?"

Before the other man could respond, the galley master barked an order: "Right! Prepare your oars. Ready? Row! In, out, in, out, in, out, in, out, in, out, in, out."

()()()

"But you must try and eat something," Barbara insisted, but the other woman in the cage with her shook her head vehemently.

"There's not enough for two. Besides, I ain't hungry."

"Oh, come on. Look, don't be silly," Barbara urged, holding out the dismal bowl of gray gruel they'd been given

Finally, the other woman relented. "Thank 'ee." She then took a large spoonful, despite the glue-like taste, she downed several mouthfuls in only a few seconds.

As she ate, Barbara looked up and was surprised to see a man with a shaved head and thick black eyebrows draped in robes hung with red and gold peering at her through the bars of the cage.

"What's your name young woman?" he inquired, "Where do you come from?"

Barbara didn't respond, pointedly turning away. This fellow was probably another buyer, no different from the rest. She wondered why he bothered asking her such questions rather than Sevcheria.

"Young woman, I want to help you," the man insisted, causing Barbara to look to him in surprise. "Of course, you have to trust me."

A tiny spark of hope leapt to life inside her heart before Barbara even had a chance to check herself. Tentatively, she got to her feet and leaned through the bars.  
"Would I-Would I get out of here?"

The man nodded. "Oh yes."

"And be free to go where I choose?"

"No, I'm afraid not, you see, I should have to buy you."

The tiny flame of hope was stamped out almost instantly.

"Now please, let me explain," the man exclaimed, but Barbara turned away.

"I'm not interested."

"But you will be when you hear my proposal," the man insisted.

"Oh, go away! I don't have to listen to you."

"Greetings, Tavius," Sevcheria called as he approached.

The man called Tavius whirled to face him. "That young woman," he pointed at Barbara, "How much?"

"I'm sorry, Tavius," the slaver replied, shaking his head, "No private sales. She's to be sold by auction."

"I'll give you a fair price," Tavius proclaimed.

Sevcheria chuckled. "Oh, I believe you would, but the answer's still no."

Tavius scowled. "You think you'll get a higher figure than I can pay you?"

Sevcheria laughed again, clapping the other man on the shoulder, "We shall see at the auction then, won't we Tavius?"

Without a word in response, the mysterious aristocrat turned and swept out of the room.

Sevcheria then turned to Barbara, handing her a folded garment through the cage.  
"Here."

Barbara took it, unfurling it to reveal it was a modest dress.  
"There's only one. What about her?" she asked of her cellmate.

Sevcheria smirked as he eyed the other woman. "She won't be wanting any new clothes."

"Why not?" Barbara demanded, "Where's she going?"

"She wouldn't fetch any price at all at the auction. She's to be taken to the coliseum and thrown in the arena."

Barbara's stomach twisted into a hundred knots at his words; she could hardly raise her eyes to her companion, who looked at her with wide, haunted eyes. In that instant, Barbara's already fragile heart shattered.

()()()

The storm was far worse than anyone could have predicted; it didn't take long before it evolved into a full blown typhoon. The galley was tossed about like a salad as the rowers in its bulk struggled to maintain control.

Ian's swore hands could hardly hold on to his slippery oar, slick with sea water as more sprayed through the cracks on all side. His whole body shivered with the cold water and his ears rang with the sounds of the wind and thunder as the slave master shouted to be heard over the storm.  
"In, out! If anyone breaks time, they'll be thrown overboard!"

"I can't take much more of this, Ian!" Delos called to his friend.

"In, out, row harder!" the overseer barked, "Row harder, do you hear! In, out!"

"Keep rowing, Delos!" Ian urged, his own struggles evident in his voice.

"I can't!"

The pace was vigorous as the ship was battered from all sides. The oar seemed like they were being pulled out of their rower's grasp by invisible hands rising up from the turbulent deep.

Delos lost his grip a moment later as a particular bad wave exploded against their side of the boat.

"Put your hands over the oars, or he'll kill you!" Ian yelled, but it soon became apparent that the galley master wasn't paying any attention to them as the boat was hit again.

Freezing water erupted through the cracks, sending everyone off balance, including the overseer.  
"In, out, in, out, in, out! Keep rowing," he shouted, fighting to regain his composure,  
"Keep rowing, do you hear! In, out, in, out, in, out! Keep rowing!"

"This could be our chance to get out of here," Ian whispered as he staggered near them, having now noticed that Delos had let go of his oar.

"Get ready," the other man added.

Another wave hit the ship, knocking the galley master off his feet. He tumbled into the row of slaves who all grabbed hold of him in every spot they could reach.

His frantic screams were lost beneath the howling wind as the galley started to fall about from the inside out.

()()()

Rome was a spectacle; Terna had to admit that much. While it was nowhere near the majestic, spire-filled white cities of her homeworld, by human standards it wasn't bad at all.

While the Lyall's reaction to the capitol of the Roman Empire was somewhat more subdued, Vicki was completely entranced. She raced through the crowded streets taking in the tall polished buildings, the throngs of people clogging the streets, pouring in from all parts of the globe. The murmur of dozens of languages, the scents and sounds of hundreds of merchandise spilling from the market stands lining the paved roads.

"Isn't it wonderful, Doctor?" Vicki called over her shoulder as she scampered along. "Can we explore?"

"Oh, I don't see why not, my child," the Time Lord replied, smiling fondly at her exuberance, "For a while, anyway. Then we must present our credentials so to speak, before night falls."

Terna crossed her arms, with some difficulty due to the wound still healing, and eyed the Doctor knowingly. "So, you're still planning to visit Nero?"

"Of course I am; I've been invited. I can't disappoint the Emperor."

Terna was about to say that the Doctor didn't seem to have had any problem with disappointing authority in the past, but Vicki spoke up before she could.

"What's going on over there, Doctor?"

The other two followed her outstretched arm to see she was indicating towards a low wooden platform a few yards ahead around which a small crowd had gathered.

A man was standing at the edge of the platform beside a long line of people waiting in a dismal pew to climb the steps up onto it. Terna's eyes widen in alarm which she saw the wooden slabs draped around their necks that the man was intently checking.

Prices.

"Is that what I think it is?" she whispered to the Doctor.

However, he didn't respond, as he was already leading Vicki away from the display.  
"Oh, uh, nothing to interest you, Vicki. We best be going. Come along, don't let us delay."

The three of them quickly hurried past the slave auction just as it was about to begin. As soon as they were out of earshot, Barbara and the others were marched onto the platform to the exuberant response of the mostly male patrons.

"I am delighted, gentlemen, to see how much you have appreciated today's merchandise," Sevcheria exclaimed, spreading his arms wide, "Let us prove how much so when you begin the bidding. Very well, gentlemen. How many sestertii am I bid for this fine female example of the beautiful, hardworking, Britannic race?"

He gestured to Barbara to step forward.

"Five hundred!" a faceless voice called from the crowd.

There was some sniggering.

"Come, come sir," Sevcheria urged, "We all enjoy a good joke, but today we are interested in serious offers only."

As he spoke, a man reached up onto the platform, grabbing at Barbara's leg; she glared in repugnance and tried to stamp on his hand.

Sevcheria chuckled at the scene. "Take note gentlemen, of the fiery spirit. Think about your bids then double it."

"Two thousand sestertii!" called a second man.

"Yes?" Sevcheria called out with eagerness.

"Two thousand, five hundred," the man from before interjected.

"Nearly a good offer, gentlemen, but come; you can do better than that."

"Ten thousand."

There was a nearly unanimous gasp as everyone looked about them for the source of the voice that had uttered such a high bid.  
"What? Who said that?" they murmured amongst themselves.

However, Sevcheria knew. He smirked as he knocked Barbara towards the person as they made their way through the crowd.

She was stunned to see it was the same aristocratic man from before.

"Ten thousand. You go to Tavius after all, my dear," Sevcheria declared.

()()()

Ian had a splitting headache; as he opened his eyes to the white light of morning, he found that wasn't the only thing that had 'split'. He found himself lying on the sand of a desolate beach, the flotsam and jetsam of the galley scattered about him, the ship was in utter shambles.

The sound of footsteps against the sand instantly drew his attention. Ian jumped to his feet and whirled around, preparing for a fight.  
"Oh, Delos," he instantly relaxed when his eyes fell on his friend.

The other man nodded in greeting before gesturing to the chains still binding Ian's hands. "We'd better get these off; I've found a couple of rocks." He knelt beside Ian, offering him one of said stones, "When I saw you lying there, I took you for dead."

"What happened?" Ian asked, rubbing at his still throbbing head, "I remember the storm."

"Oh, the ship was smashed to pieces," Delos explained, "And you were struck by some falling timber."

Ian chuckled at his friend's blatant nonchalance, "Oh, that's what it was, eh?"  
That at least explained the headache.

"Do you remember when you grabbed the Galley Master?"

Ian squinted his eyes, the pain in his head was starting to clear. "Yes. Yes, I remember that."

"Well, I got the key from him, and I managed to free us. Except for our wrists. Afterwards I was able to get to here. The ship went down."

Ian smiled. "You saved my life, Delos."

Delos dropped his eyes, "Yes, well, let's get on with these, shall we?" He took the rock back from Ian and held it above his handcuffs. "Ready?"

"Ready."

He struck the shackles twice, and they snapped off.  
"There we are."

"Thanks."

Delos stood up. "Just one more thing: I've managed to look around. We must be somewhere near Rome."

Ian's heart fluttered as he stood up as well, gazing about his surroundings.  
"Yes, we can't be far away. The boat was heading south. Perhaps we were going there."

"Perhaps. You ready?"

"Yes."

"Do you feel all right? To travel, I mean. We must get away from here."

"Yes, yes, I feel fine," Ian assured his friend.

"Oh good. I think it's better if we stick together. Now if we head north we can-."

Ian held up a hand, silencing him. "Sorry, Delos. I'm going to Rome."

The other man's eyes widened. "Rome? But Ian, that's madness!"

But Ian was already walking up the beach. "You don't have to come, but I have a friend who was taken there. I have to find her."

()()()

Miles away, Barbara stood in the center of Rome, in the middle of the palace of the Emperor himself. Although this was where her buyer Tavius had brought her, she had no idea why she was there.

But it appeared she was about to find out. As Barbara drank in the sight of the massive alabaster palace, Tavius lead her down the sprawling corridors, cautiously checking his surroundings as though afraid he was being followed.

"Why did you bring me here?" Barbara demanded, snapping him from his thoughts.

"It's quite simple, young lady. I saw you with that poor woman slave, and it was then that I realized by the way that you were looking after her, that I should have to help you."

Barbara was astounded that the answer was so simple. "Why, I only did what most people would have done."

"Now, I think not," Tavius smiled as he turned to face Barbara, having seemingly arrived at their destination, "Most people under such circumstances would have looked after themselves. No, you're kind and considerate."

Barbara felt her cheeks flush. "Thank you."

Tavius sighed as he continued. "Unfortunately, I'm not able to give you your freedom. You'll still be a slave, but at least here in Nero's house, as a servant of Poppea, life will be more pleasant than it could have been."

Barbara nodded, understanding. "I'm grateful for what you've done, but I must tell you that I have no intention of staying here."

Tavius raised one of his large eyebrows. "Escape, you mean? Well, of course, I can't stop you but, I think you should consider it very carefully. If you should escape and you're recaptured, it would mean your death."

Barbara swallowed but tried to not let her resolve be shaken. "Yes, I know."

"I only select and buy the slaves," Tavius smiled slyly, "Fortunately, I'm not answerable for them."

At that moment, someone else entered the room, causing Tavius and Barbara to cease all conversation.

"Yes?" the former demanded.

"A message," the other man announced, bowing slightly, "Maximus Pettulian from Corinth has arrived, sir, and with two women. He requests an audience with Caesar Nero."

Taviu's eyesbrows shot up in surprise. "Pettulian? Very well, ask him to come in."

"Sir." The messenger started to leave, but Tavius stopped him.

"No, wait. On second thoughts, perhaps it would be better if I came out to see him."

"As you will," the other man replied before leaving.

Tavius then turned back to Barbara.  
"If you'll excuse me, I'll instruct you in your duties later."

With that, he too left, leaving Barbara alone in the middle of that large palace.

()()()

"I shouldn't think there's a soul in this place that knows me, my dear Terna," the Doctor concluded as he, Terna, and Vicki entered the reception hall they'd been instructed to wait in when they'd arrived at the palace, "So there's no cause for you to worry."

The Lyall Queen smiled grimly, "I'll try not to, Doctor."  
She'd given up.

"Oh, it isn't a matter of trying, my dear-," the Doctor asserted, but was abruptly cut off.

"Psst! Psst!"

"Hmm? What is it?" the Doctor whirled around to see a bald man with dark eyebrows peering out at him from behind one of the reception hall's large pillars.

"Maximus Pettulian…?" the man asked in a frantic whisper.

When the Doctor didn't respond, Vicki pointedly bumped his arm, "That's you."

"Oh, yes, yes."

"I am Tavius," the man continued, casting a nervous glance over his shoulder, "There was trouble, but I settled it."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "What's happened?"

"He's in the apoditarium."

The Doctor blinked. "The apodi-what?"

"The apoditarium."

"Oh really, well done," the Doctor smiled, feigning understanding, "Well done, yes."

Before the conversation could continue further, a slight man in a one-shoulder toga strode into the room, and the man called Tavius instantly disappeared.  
"Caesar Nero, Emperor of all Rome!" the newcomer announced, sweeping his arm out in a dramatic gesture.

Vicki clapped her hands, squeeing with glee. "Nero. I'm going to see Nero."

At her words, a large man with a pudgy face and a rather impressive girth strode into the room. He had a mop of blonde hair on which a laurel of silver leaves rested. His toga stretched across his massive gut in a manner almost as if it might tear at any moment. The man strode to the center of the hall and belched loudly.

Vicki's face instantly fell.

Terna was horrified. _This _was Nero, Emperor of all Rome?

"Royal felicitations," the Doctor murmured.

"My expectations haven't been met in the slightest," Terna grumbled in response.

Nero suddenly jerked his head their way. "Someone spoke," he exclaimed, "Did I give permission to speak? Tiglinius, did I give permission?"

"Caesar Nero, I-," the Doctor started, but Terna clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Shut up!" she hissed.

"Now they're at it!" Nero thundered, "How am I supposed to compose with all this noise going on?"

At that moment, Tavius reappeared seemingly from nowhere and gestured to the Doctor with a flourish. "Maximus Pettulian."

Nero's eyes instantly widened with intrigue. "Maximus Pettulian?_ He's_ Maximus Pettulian?"

"Yes."

"The lyre player from Corinth?"

"In person," the Doctor declared.

Nero turned back to him, his eyes narrowing. "Play."

The Doctor jumped. "Hmm?"

"Play."

"With such a great musician as yourself present, I would take the inspiration from your example, sire," the Doctor quickly asserted, pulling his lyre from his satchel and holding it out to the Emperor.

"Oh." Nero's checks turn even redder before he squares his shoulders and takes on a more professional air. "A stool," he commanded.

The thin man that had announced him, Tigilinus, hurried forward with a three legged stool.

The Doctor went to sit on it, assuming it was for him, but Nero instead propped his fat leg against it so as to better balance the lyre on his knee. Once comfortable, he made one small strum.

The single note echoed through the spacious room.  
Nero scowled. "Oh, this is an inferior instrument, I cannot. Bring the imperial lyre!"

Tigilinus bowed and quickly scuttled out of the room.

"Beautiful, beautiful," the Doctor commended lavishly, "Did you not hear that, my dear? That instant composition?"

"Oh, yes, uh, Maximus," Vicki stammered, "Could you play it?"

"Me? Well, I'll try, that is, with Caesar's permission," the Doctor replied with a humble bow.

Nero nodded as he passed the instrument back to him. The Doctor strummed the instrument once, replicating the note to the best of his ability.  
"That is the best I can do, I'm afraid."

"A noble attempt," Terna declared.

"Yes, but it wasn't nearly as good," Vicki added.

"Oh, of course it wasn't," Nero scoffed just as Tigilinus reappeared with a much larger, more elaborate lyre.

Nero proudly took it up and played several notes  
"Try that one," he commanded, smirking.

The Doctor quickly shook his head. "That your excellency would be an impossibility. After such exquisite playing, I cannot presume. It would be out of the question. May I suggest that this instrument goes to your temple?" He held out his own lyre to Tigilinus, who quickly took it.

"Yes, to the temple and the imperial footstool," Nero added. "Have your, eaten, Maximus?"

He reaches into the pocket of his toga, produced a stick joint of meat, and hands it to the Doctor, who stares at it in a mixture of confusion and disgust.

"Uh."

"Tigilinus," then added to his servant, who reluctantly stepped forward, and Nero wiped his hand on his clothes.

"We will talk and play together later, Maximus," Nero proclaimed, "When you have eaten and practiced."

With that, he and his servants departed the Reception Hall.

"Well, I must say, I got out of that one rather well, hmm?" the Doctor declare with a nervous laugh.

Terna snorted. "I'll say. I was holding my breath the entire time."

"Yes, quite intense, wasn't it?"

The Lyall scowled, "Well, yes, but also from that pompous pig's stench. You can't honestly expect me to believe that that buffoon is the ruler of the greatest empire in the history of the world."

"I'm afraid so," the Doctor replied with a shrug.

Terna clenched her fists, barely containing her rage, "His sheer lack of noble dignity is appalling! Why, if I-."

"Doctor, what happens when Nero asks you to play next time?" Vicki interjected.

"I haven't the slightest idea."

()()()

Rome was well lit at night, which Ian was grateful for.

"Well, here were are Ian: Rome. Now what?" Delos inquired as they hugged a shadowy wall, peering cautiously about the seemingly deserted street.

"To tell you the truth, I hadn't really thought this far."

"Well, I suggest you start. We don't exactly look like respectable citizens of the capital," Delos proclaimed, noting their filthy clothes and faces.

Ian took a look at his own attire, and couldn't help but agree, "No. Well, first of all let's find somewhere to clean up, and then I suppose Barbara must have been sold. We'll make a start there."

Delos shook his head; his friend's optimism never ceasing to astound him, but he also thought it best to give him a douse of reason. "It'll be hopeless. There's no way you'll be able to find where she's been taken."

"You don't have to come, Delos."

He sighed. "I know. I know, but, well, luck's been with us so far. Who's to say it won't hold?"

Ian smiled. "Good man. Come on."

They hadn't gone a step before a pair of soldiers sprang out of nowhere, pressing their swords to each of their throats.

()()()

"Well, this seems to be the apoditarium," Vicki said of the curved, long-ceilinged room lined with curtained doorways, "I wonder what that Tavius meant?"

"Oh, how should I know, my child?" the Doctor replied, still a little shaken from his encounter with Nero. "I can't for the life of me understand why I agreed to come here."

"Because you're curious," Terna inferred, "And I must admit so am I."

"Me, curious? Huh, nonsense."

"Well, I suppose Tavius could have made a mistake," Vicki offered, "He thought he was talking with somebody else."

"Well, we might as well have a look around now that we're here," Terna declared, striding further into the room.

The Doctor followed her. "Yes. Why not?"

Terna paused before one of the draped doorways.  
"What's behind curtain number one?" she asked, dramatically pulling it aside only for a large body to fall unceremoniously over the threshold with a loud 'thunk'.  
She faltered, "Oh! Corpse number two."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Well, that was…sudden."

Vicki suddenly gasped, recognition flooding her eyes as she surveyed the heavily armored cadaver, "Doctor, that's the Centurion who found us and brought us to the house!"

"I can see that, my child," the Doctor replied, "But what does it mean? What does it all mean, hmm?"

()()()

Ian could not believe his bad luck. Even after all the scrapes he'd gotten into traveling through time and space, he couldn't recall the last time it had ever been _this_ bad.

He watched with reluctant eyes as Sevcheria paced in front of Delos and his kneeled and re-shackled forms, the bars of prison cell between them.

The slaver seemed to catch his icy gaze because he smiled rather condescendingly. "I don't know what all the fuss is about. You're lucky the soldiers brought you to me."

"Lucky?" Ian spat, "That's hardly the word I'd use."

Sevcheria's smile widened. "Well, you know as well as I do, escaped slaves are put to death automatically. This way at least you'll have a chance of fighting for your freedom."

Delos and Ian's eyes widened in unison.  
"A chance? How?"

Sevcheria's smile was almost wolfish as he spread his arms wide, "By putting on a good show in the arena, and hoping Nero's in a benevolent mood."

With that, he and the two soldiers that had captured them left

Ian turned to Delos. "The arena?"

The other man heaved a sigh. "Well, it sounds as if we're going to be trained as gladiators."

"Yes, but to fight what?"

As if to answer his question, several loud roars were then heard from the cages next door.

()()()

The morning dawned as glorious as the previous across the streets of Rome.  
The sun was already high in the sky by the time the Doctor exited the chambers set aside for him in the palace of Nero only to immediately run into Terna.

"Oh, good morning, my dear. Did you sleep well?" the Doctor asked, somewhat startled. She had styled her hair in that way he liked again: crimped and clipped behind one ear.

The Lyall Queen smiled. "Surprisingly, yes. Did you?"

"Oh, so, so," the Doctor replied dismissively, "I must confess, I've been giving a great deal of thought to that business of yesterday and-."

"Psst!" the urgent and familiar sound cut him off.

"Oh, there's our hissing friend again." The Doctor and Terna turned to find Tavius once again only partially in sight. "Well?"

"I haven't got long, so listen carefully. I've managed to get rid of that body, and I don't think anyone suspects, but if you delay your action, it will be safer."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow.  
"Which part of my action would you like me to put into effect first, hmm?"

"Why, I leave that to you," Tavius replied earnestly.

"You know my plans, of course?" the Doctor probed.

"Of course, of course, yes," the strange man replied hurriedly, "But I don't know the exact details. I must go. I'll try and see you later."

Before the other two could respond, he'd ducked out of sight once again.

"Well, that was shady," Terna declared, "I think it's safe to say there's some sort of conspiracy going on, Doctor."

"Yes, and I believe, for our own sakes, I must get to the bottom of it. The sooner I do that, the better."

"I'll help, of course," Terna reminded him.

"Yes. By the way, where's Vicki?"

The Lyall couldn't help but grimace slightly; she still hadn't entirely warmed up to the girl. Every mention of her was like a punch in the Susan-sized hole in her chest.  
"She said she wanted to go exploring. Don't worry; I told her not to leave the palace."

The Doctor nodded. "Good. Yes, it's big enough to get lost in anyway, and remember, Terna, we're only here as observers. We must not interfere with the course of history, or try to accelerate man's achievements or progress."

She rolled her eyes in response. "Yes, Doctor; I know all these things, and I told them to Vicki. Besides, as if the progress of men means anything to an immortal like me."

"Yes, quite. Well, I suppose the quickest way is to the top. If you're up to it, Terna, let's go have a word with Nero."

()()()

Emperor Nero was in a bad mood; his Empress Poppaea could sense that, glancing at her husband reclining on her lavish bed in her mirror as she brushed her hair.

"We must give him some sort of incentive," he was saying, most likely still raving about that foreign musician.

"Darling, you are the Emperor," Popaea declared, finally giving up on her hair and setting the brush aside. She needed a new handmaiden; an empress should not be expected to style her hair herself.  
"I should think your command would be good enough."

"It should be, shouldn't it?" Nero agreed forlornly.

"Dearest, which one do you think I should wear?" Poppaea inquired in an attempt to take her husband's mind off his troubles, holding two pieces of jewelry aloft.

"Oh, that one," Nero replied distractedly.

"Oh, really? I would have preferred the other, but if you insist."

"It's quite a problem, Poppaea."

"Yes, both broaches are very attractive."

"No, I was referring to _my _problem," Nero snapped, flopping down on the bed in frustration. "Naturally, I appreciate the feelings of my fellow artists. When Maximus Pettulion plays for the court of Rome, he must have the center of the stage. He will receive the same rapt and hushed attention that I do when I put on a recital. Well, nearly the same rapt attention as when I play."

"Why not hold a banquet this evening?" his wife offered, "Maximus can provide the entertainment."

Nero sat bolt upright on the bed. "Wonderful idea! A banquet in his honor, but I'd already thought of it, as a matter of fact."

Poppaea smiled knowingly. "You'd better inform him of the arrangements."

Nero was about to get up and do so when there was a knock at the door

Poppaea turned his attention to it while Nero took notice of his scribe attempting to put his laurel on his head.

"Come in."

"Tigilinus, get off my bed."

The scribe had just managed to crown the Emperor (falling off the bed as he did so) before Tavius entered.

"Yes, Tavius?" Nero asked, instantly bored.

"Caesar Nero, we have an audience with the Empress."

"We?"

Tavius gestured behind him just as a beautiful woman stepped into view. Nero's boredom instantly evaporated at the sight of her. She was truly gorgeous, radiating a foreign kind of beauty unlike anything he'd ever seen before. Her long dark hair contrasted with her pale, marble-like skin so pleasantly it was truly a sight to behold.

"Dearest, you were on your way to see Maximus," Poppaea said pointedly, obviously disliking that her husband was looking at this obvious servant woman like she was something to eat.

"Oh! Yes," Nero jumped to his feet, "Oh, get out of the way, Tavius." He barreled past the other man, his eyes never leaving the new woman for an instant as Tigilinus finally managed to regain his bearings and scuttled after him.

This left Barbara and Tavius alone with the Empress. "Yes, what is it, Tavius?"

"I have a new attendant for your staff, Madame," he replied, gesturing to Barbara before bowing out of the room.

She looked after him forlornly, not eager to part with her only feeling of circuity in all of Rome. However, her attention was quickly redirected as the Empress approached her.

"My husband, Caesar Nero, seemed quite taken with you."

"Oh? Did he, Madame?" Barbara replied quietly, averting her eyes.

"I_like _being Empress, and I intend to remain so."

"Yes, Madame, of course."

"Good. As long as you understand the position," Poppaea stepped away from her new servant, waving a dismissive hand towards her dressing table, "Now, for your first task, you can clear away my things."

"Yes, Madame," Barbara hurriedly got to the task.

"I shall be in the outer room."

"I'll just clear these things away, Madame," Barbara replied, gathering up the empty plates and goblets on a tray. There was no answer from her new mistress, so she quickly went out into the corridor.

"Yoo hoo!"

Barbara jumped, nearly dropping the tray. She spun around to see Nero peeking out at her from behind a column. "I've been waiting for you. I'm coming after you."

Barbara took off running. Nero moved to follow, but Tigilinus grabbed hold of his toga.

"Tigilinus, go away. Leave me alone," he shook him off. "You shan't get away from me!" he added in a sing-song voice, thundering down the corridor after the fleeing woman.

Barbara ran as fast as she could, pausing only to relieve the tray on a side table. She rounded the corner with Nero hot on her trail.

However, he was momentarily thwarted by the unanimous unintentional of running into a wandering Vicki.  
He staggered backwards in shock and knocked over the small pillar Barbara had put the tray on.  
There was a loud crash as the contents of the tray spilled everywhere.

Vicki quickly backed into a side room, stifling her laughter.

()()()

Terna and the Doctor had spent the better part of an hour looking for Nero. When they finally found him, he appeared to be playing tag with a handmaiden, or at least, that was the most innocent way to put it.

The terrified woman rounded the corner, putting several feet between herself and the bubbling Emperor, giving the Doctor ample time to step between them.  
"Oh, Nero, I'd like a word with you."

"Which way did she go?" the Caesar drew up short, frantically looking over his head in attempt to spy his fleeing maiden.

"I beg your pardon?"

Nero shook him off. "Anyway, I wanted to have a word with _you_, Maximus, but it can wait. It can wait."

With that, he took off once more, rounding the corner and checking everyone room in the next hall the corridor, checking every room.  
He doubled back and the poor woman ended up behind him. She shrieked and took off again, the Emperor hot on her heels.

The Doctor and Terna watched the display from affair, not getting a good look at the woman's face, but it must have been wrought with terror.

"Extraordinary fellow," the Doctor mused.

Terna grimaced. "I'm utterly disgusted."

"Oh, you're too uptight."

"Of course I am. Unlike him, I was a _dignified_ ruler."

()()()

Vicki hadn't really intended to end up in the palace apothecary, but there she was. The herbalist, a woman named Locusta, had a lot of work to do grinding herbs in a pestle, but she so rarely got visitors that she was more than happy to listen to Vicki's story as she did so.  
"So you've arrived with the great Maximus Pettulion, have you? The court just cannot wait to hear him play, my dear."

"They may have to," Vicki murmured, "What are you doing now, Locusta?" she added.

"Preparing a very special poison, my child," Locusta replied as simply as if she were saying she was making tea, "I can guarantee its effect on the victim."

Vicki blinked, astonished at her indifference, "And who's that? The victim, I mean?"

Locusta giggled. "I've no idea, Vicki, nobody's ordered it yet, but they will." She smiled slightly, "They will."

Vicki shifted uncomfortably. "I must say, you've got a very unusual sort of a job."

The herbalist shrugged in response. "It has its responsibilities. Official poisoner to the court of Caesar Nero. Yes, very responsible."

"It must be dangerous too."

Locusta laughed. "Great Jupiter, no! I never drink any of my potions."

"No, but I mean, if you poison somebody, don't they take their revenge?"

"Always. That's why I'm kept so busy."

Vicki was getting more and more confused. "But, I mean, on you."

"Oh, I see. You mean revenge against me? Oh no, no. I mean, it's nothing to do with me personally, is it?"

Vicki was astonished. "I suppose not, if you say so. But, the citizens of Rome, don't they object?"

"To me? No. It's an accepted thing, isn't it?" Locusta replied as though it were obvious,  
"Almost a tradition, in fact, that the family of Caesar want to murder each other. After all, everybody would like to be Caesar of Rome, wouldn't they? I wonder who'll have the honor of being given this?" she added with a flourish, holding her newly completed poison aloft.

It gleamed almost menacingly in the half-light, and Vicki swallowed heavily.

Ancient Rome was certainly different from her time.

()()()

Barbara was breathing heavily, her heart violently hammering in her chest as she quietly tiptoed down the vast hallways of the palace, looking every which way to make sure the lusty Emperor wasn't prowling around.

Finally daring to breath a sign of relief, she cautiously pushed open a door to Poppaea's chambers, eager to get back to work and forget her earlier frantic running about.

However, luck would not have it.

"Cornered at last!" Nero pounced out from behind the door, his huge lips gaping like a fish as he eyed her hungrily. Barbara shrieked and tried to run away, but he grabbed her wrist.

She twisted in his grip as the emperor pulled her closer to him; Barbara continued to scream, hoping, praying that someone would hear her, but even if they did, who would step in and potentially disobey the Emperor of all Rome.

Nero grinned hungrily as he attempted to pull her further into the room, but faltered when something jerked him from behind, although not hard enough to deter his grip on Barbara.

"Tigilinus, if you don't leave me alone, you will be sent to feed the lions. Now go away!" the Emperor snarled at his scribe, pulling him off his robe and throwing him out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Now, young woman," Nero leaned down at Barbara, his gaze predatory, "Surely you wouldn't refuse me, Claudius Nero, a teeny weeny kiss?"

"Shouldn't you think about what your wife would say?" Barbara asked weakly, scrambling backward until she smacked into the bed in the middle of the room.

"Poppaea?" Nero struggled through gritted teeth as Barbara pulled at his wrist, "Oh, she wouldn't hear of such a thing." He grunted in frustration as Barbara broke free of his grasp and toppled over the side of the bed. Nero scrambled onto the large mattress; he peered over the side in time to see Barbara try to scramble under the bed. He grabbed her ankle, she shrieked and kicked madly, but he would not release her.

At that moment, the door opened. Nero whirled around to see the lyre player standing in the doorway, eyes wide in shock and face flushed as realization dawned on him.

"Maximus, go away," Nero thundered, struggling to keep hold of Barbara just as the musician's blonde woman reached out and yanked him out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

()()()

As Terna shut the door, the Doctor, fuming with embarrassment hastily scrambled backward only to walk straight into the Empress.

Poppaea stared at him in confusion before her attention turned to the door where distincitly female shrieks could be heard. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

The Doctor fumbled awkwardly, quickly stepping to the side. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Madame. I wanted a word with Nero, but I'll come back later. He seems to be rather busy."

He grabbed Terna's wrist and quickly walked off down the hall.

"Doctor, it sounds like he's-."

"Just keep walking, Terna."

()()()

"Got you!"

Barbara screamed as Nero hooked her around the waist, pulling out from under the bed and hoisting her up onto the mattress where she was left shrieking and kicking madly.

The door flew open with a bang, startling the terrified handmaiden into silence. Nero jerked around, expecting another noisy servant but instead found himself face to face with his seething wife.

His face fell and he swallowed heavily.  
"Poppaea, darling. Hello," he finally managed to choke out.

Poppaea's gaze was venomous, not only at her husband but also at the cowering Barbara. She didn't know who she should be more afraid of.  
"Enjoying yourself, dearest?"

"Hmm?"  
Still scrambling, Nero jerked over to Barbara with an exclamation of surprise as though he'd just noticed her.  
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were there. Did you want something?"

"No." Barbara couldn't have gotten out of the room fast enough as she leapt off the bed and sprinted past Poppaea in the doorway, head bent in utter terror.

The empress only regarded her momentarily before she returned her still murderous glare towards her husband.

Nero exhaled dramatically, flopping down on the bed.  
"I've got the most terrible headache, darling. I simply had to lie down."

Poppaea raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Nero nodded before gesturing over her shoulder, "Extraordinary thing. That strange young woman has been chasing me 'round all morning."

()()()

The sun was high in the sky, casting its oppressive rays over the golden sands of the arena; ian actually found himself thankful for the shade of his iron cage as he leaned against its side, watching a couple of men in leather armor practicing with short swords out in the center of stadium.

Delos tapped him on the shoulder, startling him from his thoughts.  
"Don't you want this?" the other man asked, holding out a small bowl of muddy gruel.

Ian's stomach churned.  
"No, no, thank you."

"You sure, Ian?"

"Ian? Is your name Ian?"

Both men jumped at the sound of a small voice coming from the neighboring cage. They turned to see a mousy slave woman peering at them between the bars; her eyes were glassy, and her skin sunken and ashy.

Ian moved towards her. "Yes, it is."

"You were planning to meet a woman here?" the woman whispered, gripping a bar in her shaking fist, "Her name was Barbara."

"Barbara?" Ian's heart leapt as he scrambled to his feet, fueled by his good fortune and the potential of locating his lost friend. "Well, where is she now?"

The woman shook her head. "I'm sorry. I don't know."

"But you just said her name!" Ian almost pleaded, "You must know where she is."

"She were here with me, but they took her away to the auction." The woman dropped her eyes, "They never come back. I suppose she were sold."

Despite that unnerving bit of news, Ian was beyond ecstatic. There was hope, and he'd cling to it.

()()()

The heat came with the midday, as it always did. Despite the Doctor's reservations, he had agreed to join Nero in the palace baths.

The setting actually turned out to be quite tranquil: the chairs were comfortable, and they were served cold drinks by the slaves who hurried about, keeping the space as cool and content as possible.

The Doctor almost found himself drifting off when Nero suddenly gave a shout, startling him back awake. The Doctor sat up in time to see the Emperor leap to his feet, large face red with anger as he screamed at a cowering slave that had accidentally spilled bath water all over his toga.

"Idiot! Fool! I'll teach you to boil me alive!" the emperor bellowed, waving his heads wildly, his gaze manic as he looked about him, "Guards! Guards! You maniac! Guards! Come here!"

A group of soldiers burst through the door, and Nero quickly snatched a sword from one of their belts. "Oh, wait till I get hold of you, I'll teach you," he snarled, a sickening grin on his lips as he thrust the sword out at the trembling servant, who looked to be on the verge of tears as he looked pleadingly up at his emperor.

The Doctor had jumped to his feet and gotten between Nero and the slave boy before he'd even thought through it properly.

"Get out of my way, Maximus!" Nero snarled, "Did you see what he did?"

"Of course I did, yes, of course I did," the Time Lord replied hurriedly before turning to the guards, pointing an accusing finger at the slave. "Take him away and banish him, and don't let him ever appear again here ever. Ever!"

The guards looked confused for a moment, but Nero then gave them the nod of approval, and they quickly grabbed hold of the slave, who was shaking so fiercely he could barely stand.

As the soldiers dragged him away, the Doctor caught sight of the frightened man look his way and mouth the words 'thank you'.

He breathed a sigh of relief, thankful he'd been able to diffuse the situation before it'd turned particularly nasty.  
"I congratulate you, Nero," he then commended the Emperor, "The way you handled that stupid fellow! Why, it was most impressive!"

Nero's previously murderous demeanor quickly evaporated, and his large face lit up at the praise. "Oh, I'm glad you noticed."

"Oh, yes. It was enormous control."

Nero's smile faltered somewhat, and the Doctor caught that hint of his previous self as he studied the other man, "You understand, of course, I only took the sword to frighten him?"

"Yes, I noticed that, of course, immediately. Yes," the Doctor quickly replied, reaching out and gently taking the sword away from the Emperor and tossing it into the fountain.

"But I could have done something, you know?" Nero insisted.

"It seems you can do many things," the Doctor agreed.

Nero's smile slipped again, and for a terrifying moment the Doctor thought he might cut his head off, but instead, the large Emperor collapsed back into his chair with a forlorn sigh.  
"Besides charming the fairer sex, I'm afraid."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, surprised at this display.  
"Oh?"

"Yes, there are so many lovely creatures in the world of such rich beauty," Nero continued, smiling wistfully, "and yet none of them ever seem to desire my indulgences."

The Doctor suppressed a grimace; his thoughts returning to earlier that day. That poor servant girl.  
"What of your wife?" he finally asked, sitting down beside the human man.

"Poppaea?" Nero scoffed, waving his hand dismissively, "An average specimen at best. Maximus, provide me your council: how do you do it?"

The Doctor blinked. "Do what?"

"How do you charm your own woman?" Nero inquired eagerly, "That lovely little specimen with the golden hair. I have never seen a rarer creature in all my years. She follows you everywhere."

"Forgive me, Emperor," the Doctor cleared his throat loudly, "But you did say that perhaps we were to talk here about something very important."

Nero's eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and confusion. "Oh! Of course, I did. Yes, indeed, yes. Did I say what the matter of importance was?"

"Not a word, but I'd like to ask you something now."

"Oh? What?"

The Doctor leaned in closer to the Emperor, lowering his voice. "On my arrival, I was rather under the impression that there was some sort of intrigue going on here, hmm?"

Nero looked bemused. "Well, nobody said anything to _me_. Nobody said a word, and I am always informed of intrigues. Who was it?"

"Oh it's just a feeling, just a feeling," the Doctor asserted quickly, "You know. After all, I mean, a musician with your skill, well, surely you've experienced troubled vibrations?"

Nero appeared baffled. "Troubled vibrations? Oh, well, of course! Yes!" he quickly recovered, his face full of affirmation.

The Doctor chuckled. "Yes, I'd rather thought you'd had it, hmm?"

"Oh I have had it! Yes! No, I thought maybe it was just because I was feeling hungry, you know?" the Emperor laughed almost nervously before something seemed to dawn on him. "Ah, that was it! There is a banquet tonight, and you and your companions are invited."

"Oh, how charming of you!" the Doctor exclaimed, "Thank you. I'm delighted, delighted."

"It'll be a splendid audience for your first concert," Nero proclaimed, rising to his feet (with some difficulty) and then sauntering off.

The Doctor waved him off, laughing nervously. "Yes, yes, I rather thought it might be."

"Doctor?"

The Time Lord turned to see Terna standing behind him, looking slightly frazzled.  
"Terna? Where have you been?"

"I…" She dropped her eyes, blushing furiously, "I got lost."

()()()

Vicki had had to hide under the table as soon as the woman entered Locusta's workshop; the young girl had no idea who she was, but the way Locusta was acting around her she must have been someone important.

They talked in low voices for a short time, something about some woman that needed to be poisoned at a banquet that night. A servant girl, who was apparently getting too close to Emperor Nero.  
Vicki couldn't help but feel her stomach constrict at the thought of poisoning an innocent girl.

"You understand what you must do, Locusta?" the woman's biting voice mixed with the sounds of the palace poisoner eagerly grinding up the herbs.

"Yes, my lady. Get the attendant to serve these drinks to Caesar Nero when he's with your new slave."

"Correct. And she is to have the special one. Come with me, I'll point her out to you. That'll put paid to any ambitions she has to be Empress."

Vicki poked her head out from under the table the second the two woman left. So, the empress was going to poison one of her slaves; well, not if Vicki Pallister had anything to say about it.

()()()

After meeting up with the Doctor in the palace baths, he and Terna had returned to the guest quarters provided for her in order to talk things over more discreetly.

The Lyall sat in front of a mirror, running a brush through her crimped blonde hair while the Doctor anxiously paced the room.

"So, Nero expects you to provide entertainment at the banquet tonight?" she affirmed.

"Yes, it's in my honor," the Doctor replied, sounding slightly miserable.

"But you can't play the lyre to save your life."

"It appears I'm going to have to," the Doctor replied, grinding his teeth in frustration, "Otherwise, our cover will be blown. I need to think of some way around this. How do I play the lyre without actually playing it?"

Terna set down her brush and turned towards him. "You know, Doctor, I've been thinking about foolish rulers."

The Doctor scowled at her. "Oh, Terna, now's not the time to be complaining about Nero."

"No, hear me out," the Lyall insisted, "When I was a child, my grandmother told me a story about a foolish emperor who got swindled by merchants that claimed they could make him clothing that was said to be the most beautiful in the world but could only be seen if a person wasn't a fool. Therefore, everyone proclaimed its beauty so as not to appear foolish even though there was in reality nothing there. In short, the merchants made fools of the whole kingdom, especially the Emperor."

The Doctor stared at her, stunned. After a pause, he suddenly rushed forward, grabbed Terna by the shoulders, pulling her to her feet, and hugged her tightly.  
"My beautiful Terna, you're a genius!"

()()()

"The preparations for the banquet are under way, Maximus," Nero explained to the Doctor and Terna as they strolled down the lavish palace corridors together, "You will have to play as you have never played before."

"Too true! Too true, so I shall," the Doctor agreed, turning to cast Terna a knowing glance, no longer uneasy about the idea.

She winked back in response.  
"It will truly be a marvelous display."

"Poppaea, my darling." Their attention was redirected when the Empress entered; both the travelers noted the icy stare she gave her husband, confirming she'd found out about the little display with the servant girl earlier.

"Dearest, I do wish you could find time to look in the banqueting hall," Poppaea addressed Nero flatly.

"Oh?"

"I think the arrangements are suitable, but you have much more artistic appreciation for that sort of thing." The queen smiled knowingly.

"Of course I have," Nero declared, puffing his chest out slightly, "I'll see to it at once. Excuse me."

With that, he sauntered off.

"Pardon me, Madame. We must go about my business," the Doctor murmured to the queen as he and Terna brushed past her.

Further down the hall, they happened upon Vicki.  
"Hello Doctor. Solved your problem?" the young girl inquired brightly.

"No, I haven't, child, no," the Time Lord explained, "I raised the question with our illustrious Caesar, but I'm afraid that was a mistake."

Vicki giggled. "That's rare for you, isn't it?"

"Never mind about that. Have you explored the court, hmm?"

The young girl nodded, grinning, "Yes, it's marvelous. Oh, and guess what?"

"What?"

"There's going to be a feast tonight."

"We heard," Terna informed her, "It's to be held for us as a matter of fact."

"Yes, and there's going to be rather an unusual entertainer," the Doctor added.

Vicki raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Me."

()()()

Barbara had been busy setting the long tables in the banquet hall when she heard the voice of Emperor Nero, making her skin crawl.  
"Oh, there you are. Now, close your eyes, and Nero will give you a big surprise."

"Pardon?"

Nero's eyes darkened, obviously not used to being questioned.  
"Close your eyes. Caesar orders it."

Barbara begrudgingly obeyed, fearing for the worst, but was relieved when she felt nothing but Nero gently slipping a metal bracelet onto her wrist.

"There."

Barbara opened her eyes and looked down at the gold band on her arm.

"Well, aren't you going to thank me for the present?"

He leaned forward, and Barbara instantly knew what he was after, but she was once again spared by the arrival of Nero's scrawny scribe, who came bearing goblets of wind.

"Tiglinus, go away!" Nero thundred, raising an arm threateningly.

The young scribe cowered, but Barbara quickly defused the situation by taking one of the cups from the tray.  
"I would like to drink to your health, Caesar Nero."

Nero's anger left him almost instantly, and he grinned at her.  
"Oh, would you? Oh, well, very well."

He took the other cup; Barbara smiled before drinking deeply from her own.

()()()

Terna, the Doctor, and Vicki had neared the banquet hall by the time the latter had finished explaining all of the things she'd seen and heard while exploring the palace.

"So, you've had a busy day, Vicki? Hmm?" the Doctor asked.

She nodded. "Yes, it was. Oh, something else I forgot to tell you. I think I've poisoned Nero."

"Really…" the Doctor nodded distractedly before he froze, suddenly realizing what she'd said. "What?!"

Terna made a small choking sound. "Vicki, what have you done?!"

"Well, I didn't actually do it, but his wife was going to murder some poor slave or other, and I didn't see why that should happen, so I swapped the drinks 'round," Vicki explained simply.

"You stupid girl!" Terna snarled, having half a mind to hit the dumb human brat.  
Susan would never have done something so moronic.  
"I specifically told you not to interfere with history. I think murdering the ruler of the Roman Empire is a rather large interference."

"For heaven's sake, keep quiet," the Doctor hissed, frantically looking about them to make certain no one could here them.

Terna clapped a hand to her mouth before slowly lower it. "What do we do?" she whispered.

"Come along, quickly, quickly!" the Doctor replied frantically, ushering them both through the door into the banqueting hall.

They come in just in time to see Nero holding a large gold goblet to his lips.

"Caesar Nero! Don't drink!" the Doctor's voice rang out through the large hall, startling everyone within it.

"Why not?" Nero gaped in astonishment as the Doctor and Terna rushed over, the latter yanking the cup from him.

"I have every reason to believe that drink is poisoned!" the former declared, "Thank heavens I got you in time."

Terna stuck her finger in the wine glass, pulling it back out to reveal a muggy grey powder linger on its tip. "Yes, this confirms it."

Nero snatched the cup back from her, his expression dark as he gestured to his scribe.  
"Tigilinus?"

"No! Don't-." Terna cried, but it was too late as the trembling servant reluctantly accepted the glass from his Caesar, took a gulp, and dropped to the ground with a strangled gasp, dying almost instantly.

Nero looked down at the confirmation of his attempted murder before turning to the Doctor, beaming. "My dear Maximus, you've saved my life. If only I could lay my hands on whoever was responsible."

The Doctor nodded in response, while Terna stood still staring down at the corpse of the young servant, stricken.  
"You didn't have to make him-." The Doctor pointedly grabbed her arm.

"Quite so, quite so," the Doctor exclaimed loudly, pulling her towards the door as Vicki followed them, "And now, if you'll excuse us, I have to practice. A great deal of practice before tonight's recital."

()()()

Delos sat in the corner, watching Ian pace the length of their cell.  
"I wish you'd sit down."

"There must be something we can do, Delos." Ian insisted.

"We can: wait."

Ian shook his head; he was sick of waiting. It was all he seemed to have done since he came to Rome.  
With a cry of frustration, he slammed his fist against the solid metal bars of their cage, causing them to vibrate slightly but do nothing else.  
"When we get out of here, I'm going to comb all the slave markets, question everybody. Someone must remember her!" he growled through clenched teeth.

"Ian, you've got to worry about yourself," Delos urged, "Otherwise, it's the arena and then." He motioned a 'thumbs down'.

Ian swallowed. He knew what that meant.

()()()

"You stupid fool!" Poppaea screamed at Locusta, who carried against her table of potions, "There's no answer to failure!"

"But I would have sworn-," the other woman frantically tried to defend herself, but her Empress cut her off.

"I feel tired of your feeble excuses. Guards! Guards! Take her!"  
A few soldiers entered the room and ceased the royal poisoner around the arms, hauling her shrieking form out of the room.

"You can save your screams for the arena," Poppaea called after her, "Now take her away. Get her out!"

()()()

The banquet seemed to be going alright so far. At least Nero appeared to be enjoying himself.

"If he goes on eating, there won't be enough," Terna mumbled into her goblet.

"More wine, Maximus?" the Doctor turned to see Tavius standing behind him, "Everything's set for tomorrow. Be ready," he added in a low voice before turning to serve the other guests.

"Of course, of course, but I must ask you if-" the Doctor started, but he was already out of earshot.

"What does he mean, Doc-Maximus?" Vicki inquired.

The Doctor shook his head. "I've no idea what he's talking about."

"Well, then, how are you going to get out of the concert this evening?"

"Oh, I'm not."

Vicki was aghast. "But you can't play the lyre, Doctor."

The Doctor winked at her. "Can't I, child? Can't I?"

"You can't possibly-."

"Don't worry, Vicki," the Doctor assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Terna and I have thought up a plan."

"She isn't here, dearest," the three time travelers heard Poppaea say to Nero, who was gazing eagerly about the room.

"Mmm? Who?"

"The new girl. I'm keeping her very busy."

"New girl? Oh, her. Oh, my dear, she was miles from my thoughts. I was looking to see if everybody had finished." Nero then rose to his feet and clapped his hands, causing the room to instantly go quiet. "Silence! There will now be a further feast of music. I give you the great Corinthian lyre player, Maximus Pettulion!"

"Thank you! You are all so kind," the Doctor stood to applause as he made his way over to a stool set in the middle of the crowded tables. "With Caesar's permission, I would like to play my new composition in honor of this occasion. The music is so soft, so delicate, that only those with keen perceptive hearing will be able to distinguish this melodious charm of music."

The Doctor gently runs his fingers across the strings of the lyre, brushing them only the barest amount. Everyone leans forward in their seats, and the room falls silent, everyone is spellbound.

Terna sipped her goblet to hide her smile. Nobody moved or spoke, nobody even seemed to breath as the Doctor 'played' the lyre.

"He's all right," Nero whispered to his wife, "But he's not all that good."

Terna snorted into her goblet; Vicki looked at her in confusion.  
Behind them, Tavius sneezed, a woman applauded.

The Doctor continued to play and then finished with a flourish. Instantly the moment snapped like a chord on the instrument, and the room erupted into applause.  
People cheered, jumping from their chairs; some of the women shed a tear.

"Bravo! Bravo!"

The praise was sung by all but one; out of the corner of her eye, Terna saw Nero storm out of the hall, his ruddy face full of rage.

Her stomach flipped at the sight, but she wasn't given time to dwell on it.

The Doctor made his way through the crowd of commending court members, each one singing his praises, hailing him as the greatest lyre-player in all the empire.

He finally made his way over to Vicki and Terna.  
"Doctor, it was wonderful. Wonderful!" the former exclaimed.

"It's the old fairy story, child: _The Emperor's New Clothes_," he explained before turning to the Lyall Queen, "Yes, Terna, I really don't know what I'd do without you."

She grinned. "Splendidly performed, Maximus Pettulion."

()()()

Nero paced the length of Poppaea's chamber at a frantic pace, radiating fury from every pore of his being. Barbara stood off to the side, having been summoned, rigid with fear.

"Tell my wife, tell Poppaea that I have gone to the gladiatorial school," Nero said to her before faltering, "No, better than that. You come with me."

"But I, I-." Barbara stammered as he grabbed her wrist.

"No. No arguments! I won't have any arguments," Nero thundered, causing Barbara to shrink backwards. Seeing her reaction, the Emperor's demeanor immediately softened. "Tell me, have you ever seen a fight?"

"No, I haven't."

"Then I will arrange one while we're there," Nero gritted his teeth, "I feel like seeing someone hurt tonight. Come, quickly."

()()()

Ian and Delos were both very surprised when Sevcheria abruptly entered their cage and handed them each a helmet.

"What's this for?" Ian demanded.

Sevcheria responded with a wolfish smirk. "The Caesar Nero wants you to put on a fight for him."

"A fight? Against what?"

Sevcheria's grin widened. "Each other."

Ian's brow furrowed, his eyes wavering to Delos beside him before returning to Sevcheria. "And if we refuse?"

"He'll have you killed. This way at least, one of you has a chance. A good winner sometimes earns his freedom."

With that, he left. Delos quickly strapped on his helmet.  
"I'm going to fight you, Ian."

Ian was stunned. "Are you, Delos?"

The other man nodded, his gaze sympathetic. "You're my friend, remember that. But as he says, at least this way one of us has a chance."

"By killing the other?!"

Delos held up a hand to silence him. "I promise you one thing: if I win, I'll make it quick for you."

()()()

The arena was eerie in the dark; lit only by torches that cast twisted shadows across the stones. The ground looked red under their fire, as though it revealed all the blood that had soaked into it.  
Nero sat on a lavish throne draped in purple shrouds with Barbara beside him, huddled on a stole. Sevcheria stood at his shoulder, and the two of them talked in low voices.

"The real reason for this visit, Sevcheria," the Emperor continued, "Is for you to arrange an appearance for Maximus Pettulion in the arena."

The other man raised an eyebrow. "The lyre player?"

"Yes, he's at the court. I wish to arrange for him to appear in the colosseum for the people of Rome."

"Oh, they'll appreciate that, Caesar Nero," Sevcheria commended.

Nero chuckled in agreement, although his amusement held a much darker tone.  
"Yes, they'll appreciate it even more when you set the lions on him in the middle of his wretched performance.

In spite of himself, Sevcheria was visibly stunned. "The lions?"

"That's what I said, the lions," Sevcheria snapped, slamming his fist on the armrest of his throen, "He humiliated me, that's what he did. He humiliated me!"

"Maximus Pettulion?"

"They all applauded as though it was me!"

Before Sevcheria could respond, a pair of gladiators were ushered into the arena.

Barbara watched them and instantly her heart leapt into her throat when she saw one of them.  
No. It couldn't be. It must be the shadows of the torchlight. However, as he drew closer, it all but confirmed it.

"Ian!" The cry left Barbara's lips before she'd even registered uttering it.

Thankfully, everyone ignored her as the man she recognized as one of the slaver who'd captured her approached Ian and the other fighter. "Here.

He provides them with swords as well as a shield for the other man and weighted net for Ian.

"Well, commence the fight!" Nero demanded impatiently.

The overwhelming joy that had consumed Barbara mere moments ago at seeing Ian again quickly melted away into an overwhelming fear as she watched her old friend and the other fighter circle each other.

After a moment's hesitation, the other man struck. Ian deflected it with ease and then knocked him back. The pair traded blows a few more rounds before Ian finally managed to disarm his opponent, pulling his blade from his grasp with the net.

Delos froze, certain death was imminent, but Ian stepped back as though he was waiting for something.

"Why didn't he kill him?" Nero hissed as he watched the other man be given enough time to snatch his sword. "The fool, why didn't he kill him?"

The two men's swords knock together, clashing as they dance around one another. In a flurry of movement, almost too fast to follow, Ian's opponent managed to gain the upper hand. He knocks Ian in the stomach, causing him to buckle over in pain before knocking him in the back.

Barbara's scream caught in her throat as Ian was forced to his knees with his opponent's sword suspended over the back of his neck.

"Cut off his head," Nero commanded.

The man raised his sword. Barbara couldn't bear to look, shielding her eyes as she awaited the dreaded blow.

But it never came.

She reopened her eyes to see the other man looking down at Ian, sword still raised; the hands clutching the hilt were trembling.

"Kill him!" Nero shrieked, "Kill him!"

However, the man does not heed; his sword lowers a mere fraction before he abruptly pivoted and lunged for Nero.

The Emperor cowered back. "Guards! Guards!" he shrieked as soldiers immediately swarmed into the arena

"Look out, Delos!" Ian called to his former opponent, who ducked just in time to avoid the swipe of one of the soldier's swords.

Nero ducked behind Barbara as Ian and Delos fought off the imperial guards.

"That's better, my dear," he whispered in her ear, "Now they really are fighting for their lives."

A guard drops to the ground in front of them, having been gutted by Delos.

He lay on the ground, gasping as blood pooled around his body.

"Get up and fight, you coward," Nero bellowed over the chaos, "Get up! Your Caesar commands it!"

Delos turned to Ian, gesturing wildly with his sword. "Ian! We can get out this way!"

Barbara felt a hand grab her, fearing Nero's but turned to see it was Ian.

Their eyes met in that single moment it felt like everything was going to be alright.  
"Come on, Barbara!"

But then reality crashed in around them.  
"I can't, Ian! I can't!"

Barbara pulled her hand from his just as Delos yanked Ian out of the arena through a side door. The guards barreled after them as Nero's cries echoed throughout the arena.

"Kill them! Kill them!"

"Run quickly!" Barbara screamed without thinking.

"After them!" she heard Sevcheria command the guards followed by the magnified yell of Ian:

"I'll come back for you somehow, Barbara!"

"Where are they?" Sevcheria demanded, grabbing hold of a guard that had doubled back.

The soldier, struck dumb with fright, could only shake his head.

"You'll never catch them now," Nero declared.

Sevcheria cursed loudly. "Back to your posts," he barked to the guards.

Barbara dared to breathe a sigh of relief at Ian's escape when she felt the large hand of Nero close around her shoulder.  
"I'll teach you to turn against me." His voice was icy.

"We could have caught them, Caesar Nero," Sevcheria insisted.

"Oh, you'd never have stood a chance in the street outside," the Emperor spat, "But I'll see them dead. I'll see them dead."

"You think they'll come back, Caesar Nero?"

Nero smirked, shoving Barbara forward. "For her. And when they do, you'll recognize them. Take my guards and bring them to me."

Sevcheria nodded, bowing deeply. "I understand, Caesar Nero."

Nero regarded him with contempt, "If you succeed, you will be rewarded. If you fail, you die."  
Sevcheria nodded in understanding as the Emperor turned to Barbara.  
"So you are a friend of the gladiators, are you? Give me your sword." He beckoned over a guard.

Hesitantly, the man handed his weapon over.

Barbara's insides constricted as Nero gripped the blade, believing he was about to run her through. Instead, he stabbed through the gut of the man that had just handed the sword over to him.

The man gasp, blood spraying from his lips as he collapsed.

Nero shrugged, tossing the blade aside.  
"He didn't fight hard enough."

()()()

The morning after the banquet, Tavius entered the chamber of Empress Poppaea to find the queen in a foul mood (although, this was nothing new).  
"You sent for me, my lady?"

"Tavius, yes, the new slave you bought for me."

"Yes, my lady?"

Poppaea crossed her arms. "I find her unsatisfactory. Get rid of her."

Well, that was a surprise.  
"Of course," Tavius bobbed a quick bow, "As soon as I can find a replacement."

"Immediately!" Poppaea asserted violently, "If she's not out of the palace today, I'll take my own measures, and they'll be successful this time."

"But the Caesar Nero-." Tavius started, but Poppaea shrieked in fury, slapping him across the face.

Tavius recoiled, shaking his head to stop the ringing.  
When he reopened his eyes, his queen was fuming.

"How dare you speak to me like that?! My orders are to be carried out, otherwise your own life will be in danger!"

Tavius nodded, lightly massaging his cheek. "Yes, my lady. Right away."

He then turned and quickly ducked out of the room.

The manservant was more than a little surprised to bump into the slave woman in question almost immediately after his meeting with Poppaea.

"Tavius, I've been looking for you everywhere," Barbara exclaimed in a frantic whisper.

"Oh?"

Barbara looked about her wildly, spotting an open chamber door across the hall.  
"Is there anyone inside?"

"No."

Barbara nodded. "Well, I think it would be safer if we talked in there."

Tavius obliged, allowing her to lead him into the darkened space.

Barbara whirled on him as soon as the door was shut behind him.  
"Tavius, I'm desperate. You're the only one I can turn to. I can't move anywhere in the palace. The guards watch me all the time."

"Now, please, slowly. I don't understand," Tavius urged.

Barbara gasped; she looked to be on the verge of tears, but she managed to compose herself after a moment.  
Taking a deep breath, she started again. "Well, you remember when you first brought me here?"

"Yes."

"I told you that I didn't intend to stay."

"Yes."

Barbara breathed deeply again. "Well, that time has come. I was planning to leave. A friend of mine, Ian, is coming to collect me."

Tavius raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"Well, Nero's found out about it, and he intends to use me to trap Ian."

"I see," Tavius nodded in understanding, pressing a finger to his chin thoughtfully, "When's your friend coming?"

"I think it's tonight."

"Good," Tavius smiled reassuringly, "Now don't worry. I'll think of something, I promise you. Everything will be all right."

Barbara felt like a weight had instantly been lifted off her shoulders.  
She shook her head, beaming with relief. "What can I say? I can't repay you."

"I need no reward," Tavius assured her. "Besides, I have my own reason for helping you. Poppaea instructed me to dismiss you; I shall say I did."

"Thank you, Tavius," Barbara reached out and clasped his hands, "You've given me new hope." She turned to leave the chamber but paused as though something had occurred to her. "Oh, do you know Maximus Pettulion?"

"Yes. Yes, I do. Why?"

"Nero is planning an appearance for him in the arena. It seems-." Barbara's cut off with the sounds of shouting coming from outside the window up on the castle wall.

"Two off. March!" Sevcheria commanded two guards to take their posts. "One off. March!" Another guard fell into place. "Two off. March!" And the cycle continued.

Barbara shrank back from the window.

"Maximus Pettulion to appear in the arena?" Tavius tried to remind her, but she wouldn't take her eyes off the guards outside.

"Tavius, they're posting the guard. It must be to trap Ian."

()()()

Delos and Ian crouched in the darkness of a building, having been sticking to the shadows since last night.

"If we've got to waste time until later tonight, I suggest we get undercover," the former declared.

"It's sometimes safer to hide in the open, Delos."

"We won't get near the palace, you know that," Delos proclaimed, "Nero heard you shout. They'll be waiting."

Ian smiled in spite of his friend's dismal declaration. "Perhaps, but I've got a friends who specialize in trouble. They dive in and usually find a way. I think I'll take a leaf out of their book for once. Come on."

()()()

The Doctor had been summoned to Nero's chamber a while ago, but the Emperor was making him wait for one reason or another (probably to be annoying).

However, the Time Lord managed to keep himself busy examining the elaborate diagrams that were scattered across Nero's desk.

Vicki and Terna had opted to accompany them, and the former was perusing the scrolls as well while the latter stood off to the side with their arms folded behind their back, gazing out the window. The Lyall watched the soldiers parading the castle grounds, noting there seemed to be more than usual.

"You know what this is, child, don't you, hmm?" the Doctor inquired of Vicki, pushing his glasses further up his nose as he held out a particular elaborate diagram for her to examine.

Vicki shrugged. "Plans?"

"Yes, Caesar Nero made it," the Doctor explained, "The rebuilding of Rome. Let me see, where are we now?" He wondered aloud, trying to recall the date.

"64 A.D., July, I think," Terna called from behind him.

The Doctor smirked, "Yes, of course. He sets fire to Rome."

Terna whipped around, eyes wide in horror. "He what?!"

"I know about that," Vicki exclaimed, "I learned it in school."

"Yes, I expect his plan will be ready at any time now," the Doctor proclaimed as he scanned more of the parchment.

"Psst. Maximus!"

The three time travelers turned to see the man called Tavius gesturing wildly to them from behind a curtain.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Must you hiss my name from all corners, hmm?"

"I'm sorry, but I have news."

"Yes?"

"Nero has arranged for you to play in the arena."

The Doctor chuckled, seeing the double meaning in that remark. "Oh, has he now? Well, I must have misjudged the fellow."

"And as you play the lions will be released."

"Oh, that will be charming," the Doctor exclaimed sarcastically.

"Well, obviously you must leave here before this concert," Tavius declared.

"Oh, obviously."

"So, if you still intend to carry on with your plan, today is your last chance to kill Nero."

"Yes, yes." The Doctor froze, realization dawning of him, "Kill Nero? I beg your pardon?"

Tavius nodded. "Maximus, when you first sent word from Corinth of your intention to murder the Caesar Nero, I informed your allies in the court."

"Oh, yes, you did, did you? Yes," the Doctor fumbled, trying to recover from that revelation.

"Then, when the assassins left here to waylay you on your journey, naturally I thought that was the end," Tavius continued.

The Doctor smiled. "Yes, but I arrived here in spite of it."

"Yes, Maximus, you arrived here."

"And the Centurion who was killed by my allies, was the man that knew all about my plans and Nero didn't?" the Doctor inquired.

Tavius nodded again. "Yes, yes, we all know that, but my main concern now, Maximus, is that you should act on what I say."

"I shall certainly act on what you say. Immediately."

Tavius grinned. "Good, good, good. And the lions will go hungry after all, eh?"

"Yes!"

With that, Tavius ducked back behind the curtain and vanished.

The Doctor took of his glasses, cleaning them with the end of his coat.

Terna chuckled, crossing her arms. "Well, that settles that little bit of intrigue. You're a would-be murderer, Doctor."

"Yes. Well, we must be going," the Doctor murmured distractedly, "I want to leave here as soon as it's dark."

"Oh, but Doctor-." Vicki started to protest, but he held up a hand to silence her.

"Now, now, now, there'll be no arguments. You will do as I say."

Before Vicki could respond, Nero finally swaggered in.  
"Maximus, my dear friend!" he boomed, clapping the Doctor on the back so hard he choked.

"Oh, my dear Caesar Nero."

"I have a surprise for you. Guess what it is."

"Well now, let me think," the Doctor tapped his chin in mock thought. "You want me play in the arena?"

Nero faltered. "You guessed…?"

"Well, it's no problem at all," the Doctor assured him with a grin, "After all, you want to do your very best for your fellow artists. Well, why not the arena, hmm?"

Nero was aghast. "Yes, yes, of course, that is exactly right."

The Doctor's smile widened. "Yes, well, I promise you: I shall try to make it a roaring success."

"You'll have to play something special, you know," the Emperor struggled to gain the upper hand.

"Oh, yes, of course, of course, yes," the Doctor agreed, "Something serious, yes. Isn't that right, Terna?"

The Lyall nodded with a mischievous smirk, "Yes, something they can really get their_teeth_ into."

Nero gawked, struggling to maintain his composure.  
"You can't know, you can't. I've told no one," he wailed, collapsing into a chair.

"Caesar Nero, I've always wanted to put on a good show, to give a great performance," the Doctor assured him, folding his hands behind his back. "After all, who knows? If I go down well, I might even make it my farewell performance. You see, I've always wanted to be considered as an artist of some taste. Generally regarded as, uh, well..." He paused.

"Palatable?" Terna offered.

"Yes, a good choice of words, but we must be boring you," the Doctor added to Nero, "Surely you have so many other important things to attend to without standing here,_chewing_ over the facts with me?"

"There's something burning," Terna suddenly cried.

"My plans!" Nero shrieked, leaping to his feet, shoving Terna into the curtain as he snatched the drawings off his desk as they were quickly being consumed by a fire. "My drawings for New Rome!" He rounded on the doctor, who was clasping his glasses feebly, "You fool! You idiot!"

(Vicki tried to put out the fire with the curtains, but it was no use as the papers were consumed.

"A lifetime's work!" Nero cried, "I'll have you all killed over and over again! Guards! Guards! Fools! Idiots! Traitors! Pigs!" Nero waved the paper torch wildly through the air as a pack of soldiers burst into the room and grabbed hold of the Doctor, Terna, and Vicki.  
"I'll stick you three in the arena, on an island with water all round, and in the water there will be alligators and the water level will be raised and the alligators will get you! Fools! Traitors..." He trailed off, his face beet red as he struggled for breath. He gasped, suddenly looking down at the smoking papers in his hands as if seeing them for the first time, "Brilliant! You are a genius! A genius! I will make you rich!" he exclaimed, jumping up and down as he waved the fiery parchment in the still restrained Doctor's face. "Rich! So the Senate wouldn't pass my plans, eh? Wouldn't let me build my New Rome? But if the old one is burnt, if it goes up in flames, they will have no choice! Rome will be rebuilt to my design! Brilliant! Brilliant!"

Giggling madly, the Emperor skipped out of the room, the flaming papers still clutched in his pudgy fist.

It took a moment for the aftermath of the Emperor's tantrum to settled.  
"Well, there you are, release us," the Doctor finally commanded of the guards, who were standing there more than a little confused. "You heard what Nero said. Brilliant, brilliant. Let us go, will you? Otherwise you'll be getting some of that alligator treatment."  
Eventually, the soldiers let the three of them go. "Go on, on your way," the Doctor urged them, waving a dismissive hand, "About your business. Go along."

After the guards left, he turned back to Tern and Vicki.  
"We'd better be going, and I want to leave here as soon as it's dark."

The human girl looked a little shaken. "I didn't think that was going to work."

"Wasn't going to work?" the Doctor scoffed, "I never had any doubt in my mind, my dear."

Terna scoffed. "That's a lie."

"Yes, it is. Now, come along."

()()()

"Fantastic! Brilliant! It's a fantastic idea, Poppaea," Nero exclaimed to his wife, practically dancing on the spot.

"Well, if it's your idea, dearest, it must be."

"Well, nearly all mine, dear," Nero replied dismissively, "You know how I've always longed to rebuild Rome, name it after myself."

Poppaea suppressed a sigh. "Yes, I know."

Nero beamed. "At last, here's a chance of making it all come true. Burn the old one, and the cynics will have to pass my plans. It is a good idea, isn't it?"

"Yes, very."

Nero caught the hint of his wife's formidable ice in her tone once more.  
"Did you want me?" he finally asked.

The Empress scowled. "Only to find out why the Palace has been surrounded by guards."

"Guards? Oh, yes, of course, yes," Nero grinned, "That new slave of yours, that girl, she and some of her friends are coming here tonight. They'll be captured and killed. I must, get someone to start the fires. Tonight. No time like the present!"

()()()

Night had fallen. Nero drummed his fingers impatiently against the throne in the reception hall.  
"What's keeping them?" he demanded of Tavius, "The guards should have returned hours ago with my torchbearers."

Tavius snapped a finger at a guard in the corner, "You. Go and see if they're outside."

()()()

Ian and Delos were attempting to scramble along the palace walls, but both men froze when they caught sight of a pack of men hurrying through the gates.

"Ian, guards!"

"There must be some way of getting in here. Quick! Delos, get into line."

Both men leapt out of the shadows and instantly melded into the crowd as it swarmed into the reception hall of the palace.

"Hurry, hurry, come," a bald man with thick eyebrows urged everyone inside.

Emperor Nero rose to meet them, producing a large sack. With a flourish, he tipped it upside down and a huge pile of gold coins spilled out all over the polished tile.

An exclamation of surprise rose up from the crowd.

Nero smiled darkly. "Well, pick them up then."

There was a mad dash and a frantic scrambling, scratching and clawing at the ground and eachother as everyone surged forward and bore down on the gold like a feeding frenzy of sharks.

Ian and Delos hung back, buffeted by the crowd.

"What's going on, Ian?"

"I don't know. I tell you one thing, if I get the chance, I'm going to find Barbara."

"That's enough. Silence!" Nero thundered, and everyone instantly froze. "That was just a sample. There will be more for you, if you carry out the task that I have for you. I want you men to start fires in the hutments next to the coliseum. Nero's smile widened into a manic grin as he spread his arms wide, "The fire will spread quickly. By tonight, all Rome will be ablaze. Kill anyone who tries to stop you. You are acting on orders from Caesar Nero, Emperor of all Rome!"

A cheer erupted from the group of men at the promise of more wealth for such a simple task.

"You are Ian?"

He whirled around when someone tapped him on the shoulder to meet the bald man with the eyebrows that had ushered them inside.

"Yes."

"Come with me."

Ian silently gestured to Delos, and the two of them were lead away as Nero continued to address the crowd, bellowing his insanity full force, no longer sedated by the proper comfort of the palace. Here: in the darkness and the flames, was the true Emperor of all Rome.

"Then, the rebuilding will commence. A new city will arise from the flames. Neropolis? Nerocaesum? Or just plain Nero!"

"But how did you know I'd get in that way?" Ian demanded of the man, who he learned was called Tavius, after he'd explained his position as he lead him and Delos away from Nero.

"I didn't. I just put myself in your place and that seemed the logical entrance. Come with me."

()()()

Tavius lead Ian and Delos through the darkened halls of the lower parts of the palace until he finally stopped in front of a inconspicuous room. He thrust the curtain aside and ushered the two of them inside.

"Ian!"  
He heard her before he saw her; Ian had barely crossed the threshold when his friend threw herself into his arms, gripping him like she never wanted to let him go again.

"Barbara" he laughed, hugging her back as they stood there for a few seconds, just letting each other sink in.

It was Tavius who broke the spell.  
"Put this on," he urged, handing Barbara a cloak.

"Will we get out of here?" she asked, tossing it over her shoulders.

"There's a chance, Barbara," Ian assured her, "Just a chance."

()()()

Terna lead the Doctor and Vicki through the darkened palace gardens, guiding them along with the help of her eyesight.

A twig snapped from behind them, and Vicki stumbled heavily.

"Come along, Vicki, and try and be quiet," the Doctor urged, hurrying her along, "The place is swarming with guards."

As he spoke, a group of soldiers approached them, obviously coming to inspect the noise.

"Oh, it's only us," the Doctor assured them, holding up his hands.

The guards pause, flashing a torch across each of their faces before relenting and letting them pass.

()()()

The men hurriedly lit their fire brands, letting the flames consume the oil-slick shafts. Their excitement burned almost as intensely as the flames.

"Silence," Nero bellowed over the clamor, "Leave now and start the fires!"

()()()

Tavius stood at the window, watching the shadowed shapes of Barbara, Ian and Delos making their way across the palace grounds.

They are accosted by a guard near the wall, but Delos knocked the man over the head with the fire brand he'd been given by Emperor Nero in the reception hall.

He breathed a sigh of relief as Ian commended his friend.

"Well done, Delos."

"The Emperors' instructions!" Delos replied cheerfully as they made their way to the gate, "Well, now that you've found Barbara, where are you making for?"

"We go north."

"Assessium," Barbara added.

"Well, I'll travel some of the way with you, and it's home for me," Delos declared, "They won't catch me a second time, I promise you that. Come. Come."

With that, they ran through the gates and disappeared from Caesar's palace forever.

Tavius smiled. "Good luck, my child, good luck."

In his hand, he held a small wooden cross.

()()()

Terna, the Doctor, and Vicki had just managed to scale a hill on the outskirts of Rome.

"I think the road's just up ahead," the latter called, a few paces ahead of the other two.

"Good, good," the Doctor exclaimed, slightly breathless. "I expect Ian and Barbara will be wondering when we're going to get back."

Vicki cast a glance over her shoulder for one last look at the greatest city in history. Her eyes widened as an ominous light fell over the trio.  
"Doctor, look!"

The Doctor and Terna turned to see a large orange stain slowly stretching across the inky sky. The smell of smoke was beginning to waft up from the city walls, carried by the window and the distant heat lingered on their faces.

"Oh. The great fire of Rome, my dear," the Doctor mused.

Vicki gazed out at the city as it burned. "My first real sight of history."

"Yes, a most memorable occasion," Terna agreed, tucking her arms under each other as she shifted uncomfortably. The sight of a city burning, it brought up less than pleasant memories.

That smell…

"Isn't it strange to think that people will read about that in books for thousands and thousands of years and here am I sitting here actually watching it?" Vicki continued, smiling slightly. "It's a pity they got it all wrong."

"Hmm? Got it all wrong? What do you mean, child, hmm?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, they didn't mention you."

The Doctor was aghast. "Of course not! Why should they?"

"Well, it was you who gave Nero the idea, wasn't it?"

"I? Gave him?" the Doctor stammered.

Vicki shook her head, clucking her tongue. "Honestly, Doctor, and after that long talk you gave me about not meddling with history, you ought to be ashamed of yourself."

"It's got nothing to do with me!" the Doctor insisted.

"You burnt his drawings with your glasses."

"Oh, yes, an accident."

"Maybe, maybe not," Terna cut in, "But if you hadn't we'd have been crocodile food."

The Doctor looked between the two of them. "Well, he could have-he would have been told someone else!" he stammered, "You can't possibly accuse me of that."

Vicki held up her hands in mock surrender. "Alright, you have it your way; I'll have it mine."

"Now look here, young lady, let's settle this," the Doctor rebuked, "Insinuating that all this is my fault…" he faltered, slowly turning back around to look out at the city as it burned.

The great city of Rome crumbling from the inside out, thousands murdered by their own ruler. "My fault." The Time Lord's voice was very quiet.

Terna stepped forward, gingerly taking his hand.  
"Doctor, we should go."

()()()

Ian and Barbara were more than a little worried when they returned to the hilltop villa as there was a chance the real owner of the house might be back.

However, they were pleased to find everything exactly as they'd left it, albeit a little dusty.

"Nobody about," Ian declared.

"Bit early," Barbara reminded him, "They might not be up yet."

"If the master was back, the servants would be," Ian asserted, "Surely Vicki or the Doctor would have cleared up this mess."

He kicked a chair aside before spotting a small pile of broken shards that had once been a vase.  
"Ah. Now that's what they hit me on the head with."

"Yes," Barbara replied hurriedly, "Surely the Doctor wouldn't have gone back to the TARDIS without us."

"No, I don't think so," Ian proclaimed, stooping down to inspect the shards, "All in all, I think we've got back before them."

"Yeah. Oh, I'm so hungry."

"Yes, so am I," Ian turned to his friend, smiling warmly, "You know, Barbara, there must be a bit of that cold peacock of yours left in the fridge."

Barbara's face brightened. "Hey, you're right!"

"Why don't you have a look?"

She started to do so, but paused when she remembered. "  
Oh, very funny! Instead of sitting there making stupid jokes, why don't you get yourself cleaned up? As a matter of fact, you can start with this." Barbara gestured to the broken vase.

"Oh, Barbara," Ian whined.

"Well, you broke it," Barbara reminded him.

"I did?"

"Yes, well, I know I picked it up to help, but you got your head in the way," she explained simply.

Ian gawked. "_You_ hit me on the head with that?"

Barbara's eyes widened. "Well, yes you see, well, in the struggle, you-" she tried to quickly explain.

"So, I've got you to blame for being thrown into jail, eh?" Ian exclaimed, grinning mischievously as he slowly stalked over to her, "Made to row in a galley! Fight like a Roman!"

"Oh, what are you doing?" Barbara staggered backwards.

"I'll show you what I'm going to do!" Ian cackled as he grabbed her around the waist and made like he was going to dunk her in the fountain.

"No! No! All right, I'll clear it up," Barbara cried, half-screaming, half-laughing.

"That's better," Ian relented as he released her. "O tempora, o mores."

()()()

That night, Ian and Barbara were dozing after dinner in a similar fashion to where they'd been when that whole mess started.

"Well, well, well."

The two humans jumped and sat up to see the other three come into the courtyard.

"Oh, Doctor, Terna," Ian exclaimed, hurriedly getting to his feet.

"You're back," Barbara added, doing the same.

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Oh, what zest, what youthful exuberance!" he exclaimed sarcastically, "Try not to look at them, child," he added to Vicki. "Their outburst of energy could make you go dizzy."

"Barbara, we went to Rome. We met Nero," Vicki exclaimed, "They all thought the Doctor was a musician, and they gave a concert and all these people were there."

"Quite the adventure," Terna added, "One that I'm glad is thoroughly over."

"You're no fun," the Doctor said to her.

"Vicki, Vicki, listen-." Barbara attempted to tell the girl of her and Ian's own adventures, but the Doctor interrupted her.

"My dear Barbara. The young lady doesn't want to listen to people who have been idling away their days."

"I haven't been idling!" she insisted.

The Doctor ignored her. "Well, now you've had a nice long holiday, I'm sure you can't wait to get back to the TARDIS, hmm?"

"If you let us get a word in edgeways, we'd-," Ian started, but was also cut off.

"It'll have to wait," the Doctor declared with a dismissive wave, "Have a grape or something. Come along, you two."

He then ushered the other two out of the villa.

Ian watched them go, shaking his head in dismay, "Well, how do you like that?"

Barbara shrugged. "Oh well. Even if we had told them, I don't think they'd have believed us."

"No. Say we were dreaming."

Barbara sighed. "Oh, it isn't fair, Ian."

"No it is not." Ian smiled slightly, "Still, got a funny side to it, hasn't it?"

Barbara laughed in agreement. "Yes."

"Come along, lazy bones!" the Doctor called from outside the courtyard.

Barbara started to oblige but caught sight of Ian picking up a wine jug and goblet.

"Roman souvenir," he explained when he saw her questioning gaze.

()()()

After the TARDIS had safetly taken off, everyone departed for their own respective parts of the machine to change into more current attire, tired of Roman garb.

Save Terna, who typically wore that style anyways, as she was sitting Indian-style on the Egyptian throne, intensely writing away in her log book.

The Doctor, having changed a while ago, glanced up at her from his operating of the console.

"There. Done," the Lyall declared, setting her pen down, "_The Romans_."

"You've nearly filled that thing up," the Doctor remarked

"Well, it has been a long time and many an adventure since I first stepped on board this ship," Terna declared, closing the book and setting it aside.

"Yes, I suppose, I suppose it has been a long time," the Doctor murmured, dropping his eyes.

Terna looked at him. "Doctor, are you alright?"

"Terna, I do believe I've failed you."

"What?"

The Doctor side, stepping away from the console. "You reached out to me for aid in helping to locate the remaining Lyall scattered across the universe when Renaissance fell, and I promised I would help you. But I haven't. I've been so focused on my experiments or getting Barbara and Chesterton back to their times that-."

"Doctor, you don't have to apologize," Terna insisted, "I understand; Ian and Barbara have shorter lives than me; I can wait, they can't."

The Doctor looked at her, stunned. It was in that moment, he supposed, that he realized that Terna really had changed, as Susan had said. She was no longer that silver-haired remnant of war and pain that had stumbled onto his ship angry and confused, demanding the universe to bend to her whims.

She was different, inside and out.

"Yes, but I feel I owe you," the Doctor continued, "After all, you've saved my life multiple times. It only seems fair." He then moved over to her chair and held out his hand, "Come with me."

Wordlessly, the Lyall took it and allowed him to help her to her feet and lead her over to the console.

The Doctor then stepped over to particular part of the controls, gently running his hands over a kind of circular pad.

There was a great groaning sound from somewhere deep within the ship as the panels of the console suddenly broke apart like a flower slowly opening its petals.

Terna gaped down in shoke at the strange mess of glowing wears knotted under the smooth tiles. The substance that coated the wires gleamed in the light of the white Console Room, an element unknown to her that seemed to be liquid, gas, and solid all at once.

She cautiously reached out to touch it, then held back. "What is it?"

"The TARDIS Telepathic Circuits," the Doctor explained, "They feed directly into the central core of the machine, linking someone to its vortex. Perhaps if you connect with the ship, it'll be able to use your memories to locate a trace of the missing Lyall amidst the vortex."

Terna looked at him, the earnest hope in her eyes nearly broke his hearts.  
"Do you really think so?"

"It's worth a shot."

Terna smiled slightly. "Thank you, Doctor."

The Doctor shifted uncomfortably, feeling his face grow slightly warm. "Well, go on then."

With a nod, looking slightly nervous, Terna placed her hands on the circuits, closing her eyes in concentration.  
The lights flickered in the Console Room but there's a sudden explosion. A loud bang and a burst of smoke and fire that knocked Terna off her feet.

"Terna! Are you alright?" the Doctor cried, rushing to her side as she sat up with a groan.

"Yeah, I think so."

She glanced down at her hands as smoke unfurled from between her palms.

"Here. Let me see," the Doctor gently grasped her fingers to examine the slightly singed and blistered skin, "Oh, dear, dear, dear. Just a moment, let me get something for those burns."

The Doctor scrambled to his feet, but had barely gone two steps when the TARDIS suddenly lurched downward, knocking him off his feet.

A moment later, Ian, Barbara, and Vicki entered.

"Doctor, what's going on?" the former demanded.

"What was that noise?" Barbara added.

The TARDIS lurched again before their questions could be answered, and everyone fell over.

"We've crashed. We've landed, but we've crashed," the Doctor exclaimed breathlessly as he struggled to his feet, gripping the console for support, "The TARDIS isn't meant to-Now, now, steady, steady." He urged the machine as a series of electric popping sounds reverberated up from the device.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Terna was still sitting on the ground, looking at her hands.  
"I broke it, didn't I?"

"Oh nonsense, you've merely taken us down somewhere that's all," the Doctor assured her.

"But where are we?" Ian asked.

The Doctor didn't respond right away as he flicked a switch, but the screen mounted in the corner only revealed static.  
"That's odd. The scanner's not working."

There was a loud bang. Vicki screamed and covered her ears.

"What's happening?" Barbara cried.

"What's that noise?" Vicki whimpered

Everyone went quiet as the sound of what appeared to be hundreds of limbs scratching against the walls of the ship grew louder and louder.

* * *

A/N: I really love this serial. It's one of my favorites of the First Doctor Era. I just love the twist with Tavius at the end:)

Next time: The Web Planet


	19. The Web Planet

From: iresona8  
Q: Are you going to do every single episode? or just 1st doctor skip to modern or the first season for each doctor?  
A: I will not be doing every single episode, but nearly. I've drawn up an outline of which episodes I'll be including, omitting episodes that I personally think aren't that good or relevant to the overall story, Terna's personal growth, or her relationship with the Doctor. For instance, I didn't include the serials 'Marco Polo' or the 'Keys of Marinus' before this, and I won't be doing the two episodes after this one: 'The Crusades' and 'The Space Museum' as they do not include any opportunities to expand on those three elements. However, for the most part, I will be doing the majority of Doctor Who episodes from the First Doctor to the current.

From: Cupcake  
Q: I can't wait to read more.  
A: Glad to hear it!

* * *

Chapter 19: The Web Planet

* * *

The Doctor frantically fiddled with the console of the TARDIS, attempting to get the ship back under control but seemingly to no avail. The other passengers watched him in a mixture of confusion and fear.

"I wouldn't have thought it possible," the Time Lord finally said, "But somehow we've materialized, for a split second in time, and been imprisoned in some kind of force. I simply can't break its hold. Somewhere, somehow, we've been dragged down."

Ian raised an eyebrow, "Dragged down? To what?"

Barbara, meanwhile, had noticed that Terna was still sitting on the floor with her knees pulled into her chest.  
"Terna, are you alright?"

"What?" the Lyall grumbled, "You mean, _aside _from the fact I probably just single-handedly doomed us all?"

"Oh, hush, Terna, we're not dead yet," the Doctor chided as he flicked another switch, his brow knitted in frustration when he still got no response.

"Guys, the scratching sound's getting louder," Vicki exclaimed, clapping her hands to her ears.

"All responses negative," the Doctor continued, disregarding the girl's remark, "Air thin and static." There was a high-pitched whine as he attempted to activate the scanner. "Stop that!" the Doctor slammed his hand on the console, causing the noise to splutter out and eventually the screen fizzled into clarity, "Oh, at last. We're getting a visual."

If one could call it that; all that was visible on the screen was a world in black and white. The sky was dark and full of ashy stars, which mirrored the stone ground, dried and cracked with large divots scattered amongst the uneven rocks that bubbled full of pale green fluid.

"Crags and pools," Barbara observed, "It's like a cemetery, it's so quiet.

"Yeah, no vegetation, and I haven't seen anything move yet," Ian added.

"It's like a moon of some sort," Terna remarked, slowly getting to her feet, "Why would the telepathic circuits bring us here?" she added to the Doctor.

"I don't know, Terna; it's your mind."

"What are you two talking about?" Vicki inquired.

"Terna used the TARDIS's telepathic circuits to try and locate her lost people within the Time Vortex, and then the TARDIS was supposed to direct us to one of their locations," the Doctor explained.

"Do you mean that one of your people is out there somewhere, Terna?" Barbara asked her.

The Lyall shrugged. "Maybe."

"Well, that's great!" Ian exclaimed, "You've been trying to find a way to locate them for a while, and now you might have done it."

Terna nodded, dropping her eyes. "Yeah, it's great."

"Well, _where_ is here?" Vicki demanded.

"Oh, what is holding us here?" the Doctor exclaimed in frustration, "What force, hmm?"

"Doctor, can't there just be something wrong with the TARDIS?" Ian offered.

"Wrong? My boy, we've been dragged down onto this planet. The question is, is it some natural phenomena or is it intelligent, deliberate, or for a purpose, hmm?"

Terna raised an eyebrow. "Are you implying that you think it was the Lyall we're looking for that did it?"

The Doctor looked at her, startled. "Now, Terna; I didn't-."

"Forget it," she cut him off, "I'm going to get changed."

She then lifted the trap door that lead to her room under the console and disappeared from sight.

"She seems a little off," Vicki remarked once the door had closed behind her.

Ian nodded in agreement. "She might finally be able to reunite with one of her own kind. I thought she might be more excited."

"Well, anyone would have their reservations in this kind of scenario," the Doctor explained simply, "Now, if I could only find out what has hold of the ship. I don't like the idea of us being unable to leave of our own volition."

"Oh, you'll find the answer, Doctor," Barbara assured him, "You always do."

"Oh yes, my dear, yes, I'm confident that I can counteract it with more power," the Time Lord proclaimed, "Yes. Now let me see."

As the Doctor went back to fiddling with the TARDIS controls, Terna reentered from downstairs; she was now dressed in a long cerulean blue dress with long sleeves and a plunging neckline. The bodice was adorned in silver jewels and embroidery that went all the way down the sleeves. She was also wearing a matching floor-length cape that draped over her shoulders and had the same jeweled embroidery along the back. Her blonde hair was gathered up in stacked curls and braids that trailed down over her right shoulder around a pair of huge silver and blue earrings.  
"Any progress?" the Lyall inquired.

Vicki's mouth fell open. "Oh, Terna, you look like a queen!"

The Doctor smiled at her. "Yes, quite lovely indeed."

"Doctor, you didn't answer my question."

"Hmm? Oh, no; I'm afraid not. At the very least, the power response is satisfactory."

"Well, I guess that's something," Barbara proclaimed.

Vicki suddenly cried out, clapping her hands over her ears. "Can you hear it? Listen."

The Doctor looked at her. "Hmm?"

"What is it?" Vicki cried, squeezing her eyes shut.

"What can you hear, Vicki?" Ian inquired of her.

"A sort of humming. Oh, can't you hear it?"

"Do you hear anything, Doctor?"

"Oh, she's probably heard an extra-sonic sound," the Doctor explained to the human man. "You know, the thing that young people and young animals hear. Excuse me, you're in the way."

As the Doctor brushed past Ian to get to another part of the console, Vicki gasped in apparent relief, slowly lowering her hands. "Oh, it's stopped. Barbara, it's stopped."

"Are you alright now?"

"Yes. Yes, thanks."

"Have you seen anything on the scanner, Doctor?" Terna inquired, approaching the console to have a better look at the screen.

"No, everything's still and quiet. Now, let me try something."

He then flicked a switch; almost instantly the TARDIS bucked and thrashed about, throwing all of its passengers to the floor as a shrill shrieking filled the air, and the scanner lit up like a Christmas tree.

"What's happening, Doctor," Ian cried, "What's happening?"

Before the Time Lord could respond, the commotion abruptly ceased. The Doctor scrambled to his feet and began furiously flicking and pressing switches and buttons along the console panels, but got no response from any of them.  
"We're trapped! There's no power in the ship. It's useless."

"Ian, look!" Barbara suddenly cried before anyone else could respond to the Doctor's revelation. She was pointing at the scanner, her face as white as the landscape. "I saw a flash behind one of those crags."

"Where?"

"Out there," Barbara insisted, "I saw it. I saw it!"

"Well, it's not there now."

"I can see it's not there!"

"All right, all right, don't snap at each other, my dear," the Doctor urged, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Barbara faltered. "I'm sorry."

"You probably saw some cosmic, ray which is causing the interference," the Time Lord added.

At that moment, Terna noticed that Vicki was still huddled on the floor.  
"What's the matter with you?"

The young girl looked rather shaken. "The noise, did it stop?"

"Yes. It's all gone now," Barbara assured her, taking the still rather disoriented girl by the arm and leading her to the door, "Come on, I think you'd better lie down for a while."

The Doctor rubbed the bridge of his nose. "So disturbing, all this interference."

"Well, Doctor?" Ian asked him.

"I don't understand it. There's nothing for it, my boy; we shall have to go and find the trouble of this interference and then learn how to counteract it."

Ian gestured to the door Barbara and Vicki had just gone through. "No need for the those two to come. I'll go and tell them."

"Quite so."

Ian then turned to go tell Barbara this, but she reappeared in the doorway as he was about to leave.  
"Oh, how is she?"

"Much better," the human woman replied, "She's resting in the medical ward."

Ian nodded. "Good. Barbara, the Doctor and I are going outside to have a look around. Now don't worry," he added when she opened her mouth to protest, "I won't let him out of my sight."

The Doctor, meanwhile, turned to Terna, who was standing off to the side, staring at her feet. "You're coming too, of course?"

The Lyall blinked. "What? Oh, yes, naturally."

"Now, now, my dear, there's no need to be uneasy," he assured her, squeezing her shoulder, "This was meant to be a happy occasion."

Terna didn't seem convinced. "It is the Lyall; it has to be," she insisted, shaking her head, "They're the one holding us here; they must have been trapped here all this time…for who knows how long."

"Well, then I'd imagine they'll be more than thrilled to see you," the Doctor proclaimed.

"Will they?" Terna looked at him, and the sadness in her eyes was enough to make the Time Lord's hearts skip a beat.

Shaking it off, he turned back to Ian. "Nearly done, my boy, hmm?"

"Yes, I'm ready."

"You will be careful?" Barbara asked.

"Yes, yes, yes, of course, of course," the Doctor assured her, "Now then, I want you both to wear this ADJ." From a compartment under the TARDIS console, he produced three garments that looked like clear rain jackets with some kind of electronic plate attached to the chest.

Ian blinked. "This what?"

"It's an Atmospheric Density Jacket, to be precise," the Doctor explained as he passed two of the jackets to Terna and Ian.

The former keenly examined her own. "Is the atmosphere a bit thin?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it's rather sub-normal."

"Hello, what's this extraordinary thing?" Ian exclaimed, fingering the device on the front of the coat.

"Oh, these are what they technically call a respiratory compensator," the Doctor replied.

"Oh, I see. A sort of advanced oxygen mask, eh?"

"Exactly, exactly."

"Well, come on then, Doctor," Terna said as she threw her coat over her shoulders and headed towards the exit, but paused. "Um, how do we open the doors? We have no power."

The Doctor winced. "Ah, dear, dear, dear. Hmm. It's one thing after another."

Ian smiled. "Isn't it always?"

"Yes, well, I, uh," the Doctor hesitated, "I didn't want to, um."

Terna raised an eyebrow. "Want to what?"

The Doctor's response was to slip off the signet ring he always wore on his right hand. "This is not merely a decorative object. Come along, come along."  
He then flicked some switches on the console and waved the ring in front of an electric eye piece on the dashboard. After a moment, the main doors swung open, and the three time travelers ventured out onto the barren world, the ship's doors closing behind them.

()()()

When Barbara reentered the medical wing, she found Vicki still lying on one of the S-shaped beds.  
Wordlessly, she moved over to one of the cabinets and took out a bottle of painkillers. Dumping two into her hand, she then filled a cup of water and carried both items over to the still groggy girl.  
"Here, take these. You'll feel much better."

Vicki eyed the pills suspiciously. "What is it?"

"Oh, it's just something to make you sleep."

"May I see the container?" Vicki asked, holding out her hand.

Barbara obliged. "Any aches or pains?" she asked as the young girl keenly observed the medicine bottle.

"No. I didn't hurt myself. My ears still sting a bit, but that's all."

She still seemed reluctant to accept the tablets Barbara was holding out to her. "Well, have you decided yet whether to take the prescribed dose?"

Vicki wrinkled her nose. "It looks a bit medieval."

Barbara's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you wouldn't like it if I wanted to stick leeches all over you, would you? And I mean, it boils down to the same thing. They might have taken these in your time, but that doesn't mean-."

"Now, wait a minute," the older woman cut her off. "You can't blame my generation for everything, and those pills belong to the Doctor."

Vicki snorted as she glanced down at the product label. "He must have picked them up on his travels then because I've never seen 'Asperin' before."

"Oh, so you studied medicine at school, did you?" Barbara harrumphed, crossing her arms.

"Yes, of course I did," Vicki replied as though it were obvious, "Didn't you teach it?"

"No. We worked upwards from the three R s."

"Hmm?"

"Reading, writing, 'rithmatic."

Vicki smiled, "Oh, it was a nursery school!"

"It was not!" Barbara cried.

"I wish I'd gone to your school," the young girl exclaimed with a dramatic sigh, flopping down onto the medical bed, "We had to take a certificate of education in medicine, physics, and chemistry."

Barbara gaped. "Now, wait a minute, how old were you?"

"Well, I was ten when I took those."

"Ten? What do you do in your time, _live_ in the classroom?"

Vicki blinked in confusion. "Live in the what?"

"Classroom. Lecture hall."

The girl stilled continued to give Barbara a blank look.

"How long did you study?" she finally relented.

Vicki sighed. "Almost an hour a week. We had these machines, you see, and we-."

"All right, Vicki," Barbara cut her off. This was far too strange. "Why don't you just pander to my old-fashioned medieval superstitions and take them for me?"

The girl hesitated. "Well…"

"After all, it would save me having to put make-up on and a mask and dance 'round a fire in order to get rid of the evil spirits," Barbara added with a grin.

"Alright!" Vicki finally relented, smiling as well.

"Good." Barbara was about to get to her feet as Vicki downed the pills, but was stopped when the she grabbed her arm, running her finger along the elaborate gold cuff resting on her wrist.

"That's nice, Barbara. I haven't seen you wear it before."

"The bracelet? No, I haven't had it for very long."

"Was it a present?"

"Yes."

"From Ian?" Vicki smirked knowingly.

Barbara shook her head. "No. From Nero, as a matter of fact."

"From Nero?" Vicki's mouth fell open. "But it couldn't have been. We…"

"I haven't had a chance to tell you before, but Ian and I went to Rome also."

"What? I-I," Vicki stammered. That seemed to be an impossibility.

"I'll tell you all about it when you wake up," Barbara assured her, patting her shoulder comfortingly as she turned to leave.

"I'm not sure whether you're making it up or not," Vicki called after her, "I'll ask Ian. He'll tell me."

"Well, you do that," Barbara replied over her shoulder, "He'll be back soon."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Back? He's gone outside?"

()()()

The surface of the strange planet they'd landed on was even more eerie than the depiction of it seen on the scanner screen. Now that Ian, the Doctor, and Terna were able to move through the atmosphere, a distinctly unsettling feeling gently descended upon all of them that left the hairs on the back of their necks standing up and goosebumps running along their arms. It was like there was something lingering in the thin air, like some kind of static force.

Terna stood off to the side, wrapping her cape tighter around her body as she looked around at the desolate landscape. There was nothing but canyons and cliffs of steely stone stretching in every direction all the way to the horizon. The stone had a kind of eerie glow about it set off by the juxtaposition of it against the pitch black sky, peppered with only a few pearly stars and shadowed planets hovering over their heads. The lingering worlds seemed to be drifting too close for the Lyall's liking, as though they were trying to close in on them.

"Well, well, well. This is remarkable," the Doctor's words jerked Terna out of such a terrifying notion. She glanced his way to see he was examining one of the strange silver rocks. "Gracious. During all my travels, I don't think I've ever come across this. Magical. Isn't it extraordinary?" he added to her.

"Yes, I suppose," the Lyall replied distractedly.

"I say, are you there, Chesterton? Chesterton!" the Doctor called to Ian, who was loitering a short distance away, "What are you doing, dear boy? Fiddling and gaping over there. Come over here and learn something." He held the stone out to him as the human man approached, "Look here, do you see what this is? Mica, hmm?"

Ian nodded. "Yes, it's one of the silicates."

The Time Lord nodded in agreement. "Capable of withstanding great heat."

"Quite."

The Doctor rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I need something sharp. Terna, might I borrow your sword for a moment, hmm?"

She shook her head. "I'd rather not pull it out right now if it's all the same to you."

"Try my pen." Ian offered, holding out a black and gold-tipped writing utensil.

Almost as soon as he'd produced it, the object disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Terna's eyes widened in shock, and her expression was mirrored on Ian's face. The Doctor, meanwhile, seemed unfazed.  
"That's very clever. Very clever," he commended with a grin, "You know, you've never done that before. That's a remarkable conjuring trick."

"That was no conjuring trick, Doctor," Ian asserted, "That was my pen. It vanished into thin air." He held out his now empty palm for emphasis.

"Oh, my dear man," the Doctor scoffed.

"Vanished!" Ian insisted, his voice rising.

_Vanished! Vanished! Vanished! Vanished!_ The word was ominously repeated across the barren planet.

Terna jumped, instinctively grabbing the Doctor's arm. "What was that?!"

"Yes, my gold pen!" Ian shouted across the plane.

_Pen! Vanished! My gold pen! Vanished!_

"Gold…?" the Doctor murmured thoughtfully.

"What is it, Doctor?" Terna asked him.

"Echoes, my dear."

Ian shook his head, fidgeting as he looked around. "I don't like this place. I have a feeling."

"Hmm? What sort of feeling?" the Doctor inquired.

"I have a feeling we're being watched. Haven't you?"

The Time Lord raised an eyebrow. "No. No, no, no, I can't see any spooks or anything," he quickly replied, glancing over his shoulder. "I don't think so. No. Not particularly. No. Although, I must say that if I lived here, and I heard you roaring your head off, I'd probably come down and take a look at you."

Ian crossed his arms. "Then take my pen?"

"Yes, what if the power that's got hold of the TARDIS also took your pen?" the Doctor tapped his chin thoughtfully, "Of course! Ha ha! Now then, there's something for us to solve." He grinned at the idea before it faltered. "Terna, where are you going?"

He called after the Lyall as she abruptly walked a short distance away from the two men.

"She looks upset," Ian observed.

"Does she? Well, we can't have that," the Doctor declared. "Wait here a moment, and I'll go have a word with her."

()()()

Barbara couldn't understand how the Doctor could possibly stand to have the TARDIS so messy. Many of the rooms on the odd ship were nothing but clutter. She rifled through some boxes in a cabinet in the the corner of the Console Room, attempting to do some 'spring cleaning'. The human woman paused in her activities to take a quick glance at Ian, the Doctor, and Terna on the scanner before going back to the mess. However, a strange tingle suddenly went down her arm, as though it were falling asleep. The limb felt oddly numb from the elbow down. Barbara jerked her head in time to see the arm housing Nero's gold bracelet abruptly rise and was seemingly pulled towards the door as if of its own accord.

"Barbara?"

Vicki's words seemed to break the spell. The human woman jumped, snatching her arm back and holding it against her chest.

"Oh, sorry, did I wake you?" she inquired of Vicki, turning to face her.

"No. Are the others back yet?"

"No, not yet."

Vicki cocked her head to the side. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Why?"

The girl shrugged. "Don't know. You seem nervous."

Barbara laughed slightly. "Oh, it's nothing. It's just there's…there's something about this place."

"I know," Vicki nodded in agreement, "I wish we'd materialized in some really luxurious place; you know? Lots of lovely things to buy and eat and wear."

She paused when she noticed Barbara's arm suddenly jerk straight out to her left.

"Is your arm hurting?"

"No!" Barbara quickly asserted before she faltered, looking somewhat stricken. "Vicki, I know this sounds silly, but it doesn't t feel as though it belongs to me. A moment ago, it moved without my intending it to. Well, it's those things we don't understand that frighten us. I'm sure there's a perfectly simple explanation. I'm just letting my imagin-." She broke off, closing her apparently rogue hand into a fist and pressing it to her chest as she hurried out of the room.

()()()

Terna was sitting on a flat rock with her head in her hands a short distance from the Doctor and Ian.

The former approached her. "Now, my dear, you're looking as dismal as the atmosphere."

"Doctor, please just leave me alone," the Lyall murmured from between her fingers.

"Oh, Terna, I can't do that. Not with you as upset as you are," the Doctor insisted, sitting down on the rock next to her. "Now tell me, what's bothering you?"

Terna sighed, lowering her hands as she lifted her head to look at him, "It's just…I have a feeling. I'm nearly certain that it is the Lyall on this planet's will that is keeping the TARDIS trapped here, that their influence is messing with the humans' minds, making them anxious and afraid."

"But what reason would they have to do that?"

"Look at this place, Doctor," Terna stretched her arms wide, indicating their surroundings, "It's desolate and abandoned. Who knows how long they were trapped here...Alone."

"But they aren't any longer," the Time Lord insisted, "Not while you're here."

Terna shook her head. "But will they even want to see me? You know what I am. You know what I was like when I was Queen. I abandoned my people during the Imperial Wars, what if they think I've abandoned them again to this place," she averted her eyes as her voice become very quiet, "I…I suppose in a way I have."

"Now, my dear, I do believe you're being too hard on yourself," the Doctor declared, placing a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at him again, "You were thrust into a situation beyond your control; it was not neglect that lead to your separation in the first place. And don't you remember what your grandmother told you? If it hadn't been for you, your people may have befallen an even worse fate. Whatever sins you might have committed in your past, you have the opportunity to make up for it now. Don't waste it."

Terna looked at him, her blue eyes shining with unshed tears.  
"I…I suppose you're right," she finally said.

The Doctor smiled reassuringly as he reached out to gently brush away the brimming moisture around her eyes. "There. Now chin up, won't you? Put a smile on that face, hmm?"

Terna nodded weakly; the faintest hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"Doctor, Terna, look!" They both returned their attention to Ian to see he was examining what appeared to be a stone pillar at least twenty feet high with a large gold pyramid placed on the top. The structure was withered and dusty, crumbling in places while the gold appeared faded on the topping adornment.

"That was built," the human man proclaimed as the other two walked back over to him.

"Yes, but when?" Terna wondered, "It's old, so old. Look at the state it's in."

The three travelers cautiously approached the pillar.

"It's a pity we didn't bring a ladder with us," the Doctor mused, "We might be able to see what's on the top."

"Well, it isn't Nelson," Ian declared with a smirk.

The Doctor chuckled at his joke. "No. No, pity."

"Who's Nelson?" Terna asked.

"Well, it certainly has nothing to do with holding the ship here," the Doctor asserted before Ian could answer her question.

"Curious, though," he remarked.

"Yes, it's curious. Yes, yes, yes, but we must find something more tangible, hmm? Come along, come along."

Ian started to follow him, but Terna paused, spotting something at the base of the pillar.  
"Doctor, look."

She gestured to what appeared to be a small pool, somewhat reminiscent of a waterside tide pool. The liquid within it was slightly murky and as grey as the landscape.

"It must be water," Ian proclaimed, "Any form of life would need that, eh?" he added as he started forward.

"Wait, wait, stop," the Doctor held up a hand.

"What's the matter?"

"You're a little premature. Let's have your tie."

"I haven't got one."

"I know you're not_ wearing_ one, dear boy, but the one round your middle, hmm?" the Doctor exclaimed, slightly exasperated.

Ian grimaced as he tugged the indicated object out of his belt loops. "I hope my pants stay up."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Yes, well that's your affair, not mine."

"There you are." Ian handed him the green and black striped tie with the gold Coal Hill insignia.

"Thank you. Now then, Terna, how many poisons are you immune to?" the Doctor then inquired of the Lyall.

She blinked, somewhat taken aback by the question. "Um, well nearly every one at my full strength, except for cyanide and that one on that small planet: Androzani-something. Anyways, I don't know if that is maintained like this." She gestured to her humanoid body.

"Yes, but you're still our best bet," the Doctor proclaimed, handing her the tie. "Here. Why don't you test the waters, my dear. Stand back, Chesterton."

"Just a minute!" Ian protested, but the other two ignored him.

"I don't like being the guinea pig, Doctor," Terna grumbled as she approached the pool.

"Don't be indignant, Terna; you said it yourself you have very little chance of being harmed."

"Ugh, fine." The Lyall relented as she lowered the tie into the pool. As soon as the tip touched the water, it began to smoke.

"There you are," the Doctor said to Ian, "See that?"

"Yes, I do see," he snapped, "You've ruined it! That was my Coal Hill School tie. You've just-."

"Saved your life?" Terna cut him off, "You were about to have a wash in there, weren't you? Or probably drink some of it? We very nearly had the remnants of a Coal Hill School _teacher_ in there instead of his ragged old tie." She chucked the offending article in his direction; it was still steaming slightly.

"Never mind about that," Ian grumbled as he eyed the destroyed tie lying in the dirt, "What is it?"

Terna crouched down and stuck her finger into the water, testing the consistency between her digits. "Similar properties to formic acid," she finally said, "Check that out, it makes my finger bubble."

"I'm happy for you," the Doctor replied distractedly, "Now, let's see: interference, echoes, gold and now acid. It's strange, isn't it?"

Terna nodded. "It's very strange."

Meanwhile, Ian stooped to pick up the remainder of the tie and chucked it into the pool, watching it fizzle down below the surface. He suddenly gave a yell which mixed with the sound of rocks breaking apart. Terna and the Doctor whirled around to see several stones fall from the side of the pillar and drop into the acid pool.

"Doctor! There!" Ian pointed at the rippling liquid, "There's something in there! I saw a light. It-It broke the surface."

"A light?"

"A reflection from a planet?" Terna offered.

"No, no," Ian shook his head, looking rather shaken, "It was in _there_. I saw something in there, I tell you."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Now, my young man. If this is your idea of revenge for that tie then I think it's a pretty poor effort."

"Doctor, this is not revenge, I-."

"Now listen," the Doctor put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him. "We came here to find out the source of interference and potentially locate one of Terna's kind. I suggest we keep our minds on this subject. You're rambling on. Now come along."

As the three turned to leave, a high-pitched whining suddenly rose up from amidst the rocky cliffs lining the edge of their sight.

Ian stiffened. "What is that?"

Terna clapped her hands over her ears. "Ugh, I'm starting to see what Vicki was talking about. It's magnified extensively outside the TARDIS."

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, the question is: where's it coming from?"

They all looked about them, but none of them could come up with an answer.

()()()

Despite the shelter of the TARDIS, the sound was still shrill even within the Console Room. Barbara was trying to block it out with her hands when the ship's doors suddenly opened. She turned to face them just as her bracelet arm was tugged again.  
"No!" Barbara tried to fight against it, but a heavy feeling suddenly descended upon her, like she was being submerged in a heavy syrup. The sound faded from her mind, as did everything else for that matter.  
Finally, like a sleepwalker, Barbara slowly walked out of the TARDIS, her arm still stretched out, and the doors remained open in her wake.

()()()

The noise had finally faded into the darkness of the planet, leaving the three travelers wandering the surface to wonder about its origin.

The Doctor seemed to have a pretty sound theory.

"You mean the noises are messages?" Ian eventually surmised.

The Time Lord nodded. "It probably comes from some sentient thing, or a machine operated by it. Terna, do you recognize it?"

"I can't imagine the Lyall would send out a message in anything other than Lyca."

Ian looked at her in confusion. "Lyca?"

"The language of my people," Terna explained, "You heard me cursing in it when we first met."

The Doctor laughed slightly, "Yes, the TARDIS had a bit of trouble translating you towards the beginning, but never mind that now. We must find the source of this interference. Now come on."

()()()

Vicki hadn't heard from Barbara in quite some time. The older woman had seemed quite upset about something, which lead her to be somewhat concerned.  
"Barbara? Barbara?" the young girl entered the Console Room to find the control panel rhythmically revolving and Barbara nowhere in sight.

It only took Vicki a second to realize the doors were open. "Barbara, where are you? Barbara! Barbara!"

()()()

_Barbara! Barbara!_

The echoes reverberated throughout the canyons, causing Ian, Terna, and the Doctor to all jump in alarm at the familiar voice.

"That s Vicki!" the former cried, "Something's wrong back at the ship."

"They've probably left the doors open. Come on!" the latter urged, and they all took off running along the uneven ground back to where they'd left the TARDIS.

They sprinted across the plain, Ian slightly ahead of the Doctor and Terna.

"Ian, look out!" the latter cried, but it was too late.

With a yell from shock and pain, the human man crumbled to the ground as he was ensnared in a white net-like plant that had sprung up from the ashy dirt like a patch of jumping cactus.

The Doctor started forward to aide him, but Ian held up a hand to stop him.  
"Don't come near, Doctor! Terna! Go back to the ship! Go back to the ship!"

However, the Lyall ignored his words as she dropped to her knees in front of him.  
"Stop struggling," she urged as she grasped the tendrils entangling his body. They burned her fingers almost as much as the acid had.

"Don't worry about me," Ian protested, "Go find the others."

"Doctor, go back to the ship," Terna called over her shoulder, "I've got this."

"If you're sure," the Time Lord replied warily before hurrying off.

Terna gritted her teeth as she attempted to peel the vines from Ian's body, but he kept moving around.

"Ian, hold still."

The human man gritted his teeth; eyes squeezed shut in pain. "It stings. It hurts!"

()()()

The TARDIS lurched, nearly throwing Vicki to the floor. She grabbed the console to support herself and started flicking switches.

()()()

Barbara was moving across the empty world at the pace of a zombie. Her blank expression partially masked by her outstretched arm. Her steps were slow but deliberate, reflective of a purpose unseen as she expertly swerved at the last possible moment to avoid the acid pool and disappeared into the darkness of the perpetual night.

()()()

Having no other options, Terna yanked out her sword in an attempt to cut away the vines still entangling Ian. However, as soon as she produced the weapon in its usual bright flash, the vicious weed suddenly slithered back into the ground, leaving Ian huddled and gasping in the dirt.

"Terna! Chesterton!" the Doctor sprinted over to them as the former hesitantly reached out to touch the side of Ian's face. His skin felt hot beneath her fingers.

"Ian."

"Ahh!" the human man recoiled with a cry of pain, "Don't touch me!"

The Doctor stopped short in front of them. "Are you all right, boy?"

Ian winced, gingerly running his fingers across his cheeks. "Oh, my face, my face. What's the matter with it?"

"It's a little blistered," Terna admitted.

"Oh, it's feels as if I fell into a bed of stinging needles."

"What's happened to that weed, hmm?" the Doctor inquired.

Terna shook her head. "I don't know. It just went."

"Went where?"

"Well, it just went into the ground."

"Oh, what a cursed place this is," Ian moaned.

The Doctor nodded in agreement as he cautiously looked behind him. "Yes, a cursed place. So barren. I wonder...Yes, cursed."

"Come on, Doctor," Terna urged, "Let's get back to the TARDIS. Ian needs something for his face."

"Yes, please," the human agreed.

The Doctor winced. "Oh, unfortunately, I can't help you at the moment, dear boy."

"What?"

The Doctor clasped his hands as he momentarily searched for the best way to phrase their situation.  
"I have a shock for you two: the ship's gone. Vanished."

"What?" Terna sprang to her feet, "What do you mean vanished?"

"Did it dematerialize or something?" Ian cried as he struggled to stand, "With Barbara and Vicki still inside?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't know, but there must be an answer to it. No one can even get _in_ the ship, let alone operate it. The interior is inviolable-" he abruptly broke off, his hand clasping at his chest.

"What's the matter?" Ian asked him.

"Can't you breathe?" Terna added.

The Doctor smiled weakly. "Oh, yes. Barely."

Ian's irritated face lost a bit of its new color. "Something wrong with these?" he hesitantly fingered his own oxygen device.

"Yes, it's these ADJ coats," the Doctor explained, "After about an hour, they're useless."

"Can we live without them?"

"Just about. Terna, will you be alright?" he added to the Lyall, unsure of her current biology.

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

"Let's take them off, shall we?" Ian offered, already unbuckling his jacket, "Get used to the atmosphere."

"Yes, yes." The Doctor shrugged off his own device, as did Terna.

Ian's breath hitched in his throat as soon as he'd removed the garment. "You can certainly tell the difference, can't you?" he gasped.

"Breathe slowly," Terna instructed him as they both inhaled and exhaled in slow, steady movements. "Deeply, like a diver. It's possible. Okay?"

Ian nodded. "Thank you. I think I've got it now."

The Doctor, meanwhile, had wandered a short distance away where he was crouched down, examining something in the dirt. "There, do you see these?" he beckoned to the other two, "There are ridges in the sand here. Have a look."

He pointed to significant tracks embedded in the loose dirt, stretching forward over the rocky ground.

"The TARDIS," Ian declared.

"It's been dragged away," Terna added.

()()()

Vicki struggled to keep her balance as she watched the scanner. She knew the ship was moving, slowly across the ground. Something was dragging it, but she couldn't see what. That was until a large, black shape suddenly filled the screen. It was sleek and shiny, hairless and with huge, dark eyes that looked like twin pits, beneath these were a pair of snapping pincers.

It was the head of a giant ant.

Vicki screamed.

()()()

Barbara continued her walk through the winding halls of the shallow canyons that peppered the planet surface. Her eyes reflected no awareness of where she was or where she was going. Her only guide seemed to be the gleaming gold bracelet resting on her outstretched wrist.  
Her apathy became even more apparent when a creature suddenly appeared from a crevice-like cave jutting into the canyon wall.

The creature appeared to be some kind of bi-pedal butterfly. It had a furry, slightly pudgy body of black and gold stripes with a face almost entirely comprised of huge, black eyes. It hands were more like claws and there were antennae shooting out of their head. However, the most striking aspect about them were a pair of huge, translucent wings protruding from their back.

Barbara's trance did not permit her to have any reaction to the creature, or notice it for that matter. She simply continued her slow walk. However, the butterfly quickly slipped from the cave and gently grasped her shoulder.

Barbara didn't even flinch as the winged creature gently guided her into the cave where there were others of its kind.

Another of the butterfly creatures removed her gold bracelet and threw it into a pool of acid bubbling up from the cave floor.

Barbara instantly snapped awake.  
"My bracelet. I was…" she murmured sluggishly, blinking rapidly before her eyes finally fell on her saviors. Her mouth dropped open in surprise. "Who are you? What do you want?"

Their large black eyes and snapping antennae left the human woman feeling an acute mixture of repulsion and fear, and she didn't' attempt to stick around long enough for an answer as she turned and attempted to leave the cave, but two of the large butterflies stepped in front of her to block the exit.

"Stay where you are," the one that had removed the bracelet commanded, and Barbara instantly froze.

()()()

Ian stopped short.  
"Oh no. The tracks have disappeared."

"The ground seems firmer here," the Doctor remarked, jumping up and down experimentally.

Terna stepped ahead of the two men, scanning the horizon. "No sign of the ship."

"It's all so strange, so unnatural," the Doctor mused, bending down to grasp a handful of dirt and let it fall from between his fingers, "I've never experienced anything in my life before like this."

"Doctor, we should continue with our search," Terna reminded him.

Ian nodded. "Yeah."

"Take a look over there," the Time Lord suddenly pointed to a set of new marks appearing in the dirt a short distance from them.

Ian regarded them warily. "Well, that's…odd."

"Those aren't track marks," Terna whispered, "They're more like _claw_ marks."

"Chesterton, watch out!" the Doctor cried, but it was too late as Ian stepped forward and put his foot right through a large, flakey object that looked like a flesh-colored loaf of bread.

It split down the middle at the point his foot touched, causing his leg to crash through it up to the knee.  
"Ugh. What is this?" Ian winced, pulling his leg back out to reveal it was covered in a thick puss.

"I think we're on the right track, my boy," the Doctor declared as Ian hopped around on one foot in an attempt to shake off the mucus.

"Never mind about that. Look at this," Ian pointed at the repugnant object.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Good gracious. It's hollow."

"Well preserved," Terna remarked, bending down to get a better look at the object without necessarily touching it, "Some kind of vertebrate creature, a highly developed one."

"But it's skin is more like a chrysalis," Ian grumbled as he peeled the flakes off his pant leg.

"Menoptra!" the Doctor suddenly cried, snapping his fingers. "Yes, does that word mean anything to you, hmm?" he added to Terna.

She shook her head. "No, nothing. Do you mean to say you've been here before?"

"No, no, my dear. No, but it's this rock formation and now this creature, this object, it suggests the planet Vortis. I read about it when I was younger."

"Vortis? What galaxy is that in?" Ian inquired.

"The Isop galaxy," the Doctor explained, "Yes, many light years from Earth". He then turned back to Terna, "I don't believe that was a galaxy you oversaw, my dear."

"No, it wasn't."

"And yet Vortis hasn't any moons, but here there are several. Look, you see?" the Doctor pointed upwards towards the several spheres hovering above their heads.

"Yes, but can't a planet attract satellites to itself, Doctor?" Ian asked.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes, but it would need a galactic explosion, you know?"

"Perhaps it was the Lyall arriving here that caused those things to occur," Terna mused.

"Perhaps," the Doctor looked thoughtful, "It was some kind of new force at least. Whether that's the cause or not, I can't be sure. Anyway, come on, over here."

()()()

After it became pretty clear to Barbara that the strange butterfly people she'd encountered wouldn't allow her to leave the cave, she attempted to explain her situation to them.  
"After we'd landed, three of our party went to explore. The last thing I remember was being in the ship, the doors opening, and then, well, then you came."

The tallest of the group, who also appeared to be the leader, stepped forward. "Kill her."

"No!" the one that had saved Barbara from the control of the bracelet interceded, speaking with a female voice.

"A stranger must not be trusted," the leader asserted.

"Why did you chose to land on Vortis?" a shorter male inquired of Barbara.

"I keep telling you, we _didn't_ choose. Our ship was forced here."

"The Zarbi will treat them as enemies," the female proclaimed, "If we refuse to help them, they will not survive."

"Their future is no concern of ours, Vrestin," the leader declared, "She was under the force of the Zarbi. Why did you break it?"

"Look, all we want to do is get away from here," Barbara insisted. "These Zarbi that you seem so frightened of, maybe we could help you."

"Have you any weapons?" the short male asked.

"No, but we-."

"If we let her go, she may tell the Zarbi where they can find us," the leader inferred. "Even if she does not wish to betray us, they will extort it from her."

"There are few of us and many of the Zarbi," the female, Vrestin, reminded him, "She offers help, Hrhoonda."

"She is not to be trusted," the leader, Hrhoonda, snapped, "I say kill her."

"Hrhoonda, the Menoptra do not act without-."

However, she was interrupted as Barbara had taken their bickering as an opportunity to escape; she kneed the shorter male butterfly in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain before pushing past him and sprinting from the cave.

"Stop her!" Hrhoonda thundered, "Stop her!"

However, his cries soon faded away as Barbara scrambled across the rugged terrain and were replaced with a familiar whining and what sounded like dozens of little feet scraping across the ground.

()()()

"Strange lights in the sky," the Doctor remarked, glancing upwards.

"Pulsating," Terna agreed.

"Do you think they could be natural?" Ian inquired, "Like the aurora borealis?"

"No," Terna replied. "God, my head hearts," she added, rubbing her temples.

"Look down there, you two," the Doctor stopped at a precipice that overlooked a valley. In the dim light of the scattered stars, a gigantic structure could just be made out. It appeared to be a humongous cluster of flesh-colored weeds all tangled together like a nest over and under which they writhed together. The main mass of the structure covered the entire valley, stretching several miles while still more of the weeds extended outwards in hundreds of directions, crawling across the ground to carry their influence further from the main point, stretching off into the horizon.

"So that's where they've taken the ship to," Ian surmised.

"Apparently so," the Doctor replied, "We've got to get down there. I wish we had more knowledge of what we were up against. Terna, what's wrong?"

She had dropped to the ground, clutching her head in apparent pain.

"Doctor!" Ian cried out just as they were surrounded by dozens of gigantic insects. There were a group of ants each the size of a small horse; they had sleek black bodies that shined slightly with bulbous heads full of bulging eyes and snapping pincers. They shuffled about on stumpy legs, twittering and emitting that whining sound they had heard earlier. Accompanying them were larvae the size of bath mats; their stark white bodies shuffled across the ground on centipede like legs with huge, empty eyes and long, thin snouts that dripped a foul-smelling fluid onto the ground.

Terna looked up as one approached her. She screamed.

"Shh!" the Doctor covered her mouth, "The best thing is just to stand still."

"Maybe we could talk to them, make them understand?" Ian whispered cautiously as one of the giant ants snuffled at his pant leg.

"Apart from rubbing our back legs together like some sort of grasshopper, I doubt if we could get on speaking terms with them," the Doctor replied.

Terna abruptly stood up. "Stand still! Obey!"

Ian looked at her, startled. "Terna, are you alright?"

"Just stand still and obey."

The army of insects then started to push the three of them forward.

"Remember those claw marks," the Doctor reminded Ian when he attempted to resist.

The other man stopped struggling almost immediately. "Right."

The three travelers then allowed themselves to be lead over the edge of the cliff and down into the valley where the strange structure and whatever lay inside was waiting for them.

()()()

After what felt like an eternity, the TARDIS finally came to a halt, allowing Vicki to scramble to her feet. There wasn't a sound outside, and the scanner was blank.

Then the doors opened.

"Ian? Doctor? Is there anybody there?" the young girl cautiously stepped out of the ship and into a massive, high-ceilinged space. The floor was made of smooth, greys stone while the walls and ceiling were an amass of gigantic skin-colored tendrils that twisted and writhed around one another in a braided tangle to hold up the structure.

Vicki froze on the doorstep just as a pack of giant haunts scuttled out of the shadows towards her.  
She screamed.

()()()

The bizarre growth appeared even larger up close. The thick tentacles were a wide as tree branches; they rippled and throbbed as though they had a pulse, crawling over one another like a mass of worms in a bait bucket.

"It's growing," Ian observed.

"It's alive," Terna whispered.

"Organic matter, reproducing itself," the Doctor agreed.

Ian was in awe. "Fantastic."

"Yes, I wonder," the Doctor mused, "I wonder how long it's taken to grow that size, eh? A hundred, maybe two hundred years?"

"Doctor, if your assumption was correct and this is Vortis, what do you know of its history?"

"History doesn't mean anything when you travel through space and time, Chesterton. All right, all right. Don't push, don't push!"

The ants shoved them forward towards the entrance to the nest.

"This is it," Terna declared. "We've arrived near the center of it."

Ian looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"Home."

()()()

Terna, the Doctor and Ian were escorted through the many winding corridors of the nest that seemed to go on forever until they finally arrived at what appeared to be the largest room. The ceiling was high so a litte of the pale light managed to seep through. It illuminated the distinct shape of the TARDIS standing in the corner as well as a terrified Vicki cowering in the middle of the floor.

"My ship! The doors are open!"

The Doctor rushed to the TARDIS as Ian went to Vicki.

"Oh, Ian! Ian!" the frantic girl leapt into his arms, burying her face in his shoulder.

"It's all right, Vicki. Don't worry. Where's Barbara?"

"I don't know," the young girl shook her head, barely suppressing a sob, "I was asleep. She must have left the ship."

"What's the meaning of this, child?" the Doctor demanded, "Who tried to get in here?"

"I don't know!"

The Doctor rounded on the pack of insects. "What do you creatures want?"

Terna, who had been standing off to the side, suddenly spoke up, blinking rapidly as though she had just come out of some kind of trance. "Where are we?"

The Doctor looked at her in surprise. "Don't you remember?"

()()()

Barbara managed to make it as far the acid pool before the ant creatures caught up to her. She was forcefully held at the elbows by their spindly, barbed legs. She screamed and kicked, fighting against their hold, but was unable to break it.

"No! Ow!"

However, the ants ignored her protests as they hauled her off.

()()()

Hrhoonda paced the length of the cave he and his two cohorts were hiding in, trying to figure out their next move. He paused when he noticed Vrestin crouched beside a crystalline cube-like device resting in the middle of the room.  
"Vrestin, use that and we shall all be destroyed," the leader exclaimed, rushing forward and yanking her arm from the device. "The Zarbi are all around us. If you break communicator silence, they will know where they may find us."

"If we do not contact our forces, they face destruction," Vrestin insisted, snatching her hand back, "We must warn them of the power of the Animus."

"And of the strength of the larvae gun," the other male butterfly added.

"The Zarbi are massed together against us," Vrestin concluded.

Hrhoonda looked between his two underlings, flapping his wings in frustration. He finally sighed heavily through his nostrils, turning on his heel and stalking towards the cave entrance, visibly relenting.

Meanwhile, Vrestin changed the configuration of the crystal device.  
"Pilot party to Menoptra invasion force," she whispered into the object before removing her hands, waiting.

The only response was static.

"Pilot party to Menoptra invasion force," Vrestin repeated, grasping the device once again. "This is Vrestin. Urgent report. Urgent report."

Again, static.

"They are in reach of the enemy locators," the shorter male surmised, "They will not break communicator silence."

"They will, Hrostar," Vrestin proclaimed, "They can echo their signals to us off satellite Taron. Menop spearhead, acknowledge reception!"

"Vrestin, it's no use," the shorter male, Hrostar, insisted, touching her arm to stop her from activating the device again, "The cave is cutting off our signals."

"Yes. We must try again from outside."

"If they catch us, we must break the transmitter."

Before the female butterfly could respond, Hrhoonda shouted from the entrance.

"Vrestin! Hrostar! The Zarbi!"

The leader grabbed a spear and attempted to bare the large ants at the cave entrance.

"Vrestin, smash the crystal," Hrostar cried, "Smash the crystal!"

She obliged, and the communicated shattered like glass against the wall of the cave as a larvae slithered between one of the Zarbi ant's legs and shot an acidic flare from its snout; it hit Hrhoonda, and he crumbled to the ground, lethally burned.

Vrestin screamed; Hrostrar pulled her to her feet, shoving her back.  
"Vrestin, run! Get away! Get away!"

The female butterfly took off and escaped out the back door just as Barbara entered, wearing a large gold device around her shoulders that was shaped like a wish-bone.  
Hrostar rushed forward and managed to tentatively remove it, letting the object fall into the dirt.

Barbara gasped, her face losing its blank stare as she looked about in confusion.  
"How did I get back here?

"You were morphatized. Look!" Hrostar explained, pointing at the device on the ground.

"I don't understand."

"The Zarbi can control everyone, even us, the Menoptra, when they use that metal."

Barbara looked down at the object. "You mean gold."

"Don't touch!"

"I see. So it was the bracelet." Barbara jumped back as the Zarbi swarmed the cave, thoroughly surrounding them. "What will they do to us?"

"We are to be taken to the Crater of Needles," Hrostar replied gravely.

"And then?"

"They will put us to work. Once there you might as well wish that you had not been spared."

Barbara's heart fell into her stomach as a Zarbi suddenly pulled Hrostar away from her.

They gathered around the lone butterfly, forcing him to his knees. The largest of the Zarbi approached him, tendrils snapping.

"No!" Barbara's cry vanished into Hrostar's agonizing scream as his wings were seized in the Zarbi's pincers and pulled clean from his back, shredded from his skin as their owner howled in horrific pain.

()()()

The Doctor had been spending the better part of fifteen minutes trying to mime a message to the large ants, but all they did was twitter and whine and scuttle in circles.

"I don't think the Doctor's getting through to them," Ian whispered to Vicki, but the young girl wasn't listening. She was too busy shooting cautious glances at Terna, who was standing beside her muttering to herself.

"There are eyes…They're all around us. My grandmother warned me of Eyes. Watching…watching."

One of the ants wandered over to the Lyall, bumping against her. She screamed.  
"No! Get them-Get them away from me!" Terna staggered back, flailing her arms wildly.

"Terna, stop it," Ian cried. "You'll agitate them."

She scrambled backwards into the Doctor's arms. He gripped her shouldres.  
"Get ahold of yourself."

Terna didn't seem to be listening to him. Her whole body was shaking so badly she could barely stand as her head twitched. She squeezed her eyes shut, slamming her palms against the sides of her head.  
"Don't you see? I can't…It's in my-It's too late! I can't fight it."

"Fight? Fight what?"

"No. No, this shouldn't be possible," Terna's voice was rising in greater volume and panic with each word. "No! Leave me alone! Please, I don't want to-No!"

The Doctor watched, horrified as the Lyall suddenly fell silent, her whole body going limp in his arms.

"Terna? Are you alright?"

Her only response was to slowly step away from him, reaching up to tenderly brush a lose strand of golden hair from her face as she lifted her head to look at the Doctor head on. Her normally iridescent blue eyes were pale and glassy, her expression without emotion.

"Why have you come to this planet?" Terna opened her mouth and spoke with a voice that wasn't her own.

Vicki gaped. "Terna?"

"What's wrong with her?" Ian cried.

"Terna…?" the Doctor started to reach out his arm towards her but then thought better of it, "That isn't Terna talking is it? Who are you? Why are you doing this?"

"Why?" Terna, or rather the thing controlling her, tilted her head to the side as though considering the question. "You attacked. Where is your main force?"

"We are alone," the Doctor replied, "We have strayed from our astral plane."

"When will your invasion fleet arrive? What is its weaponry?"

"We are peaceful travelers from Earth."

A smile slithered across Terna's lips, a smile that was tinted with something cold and menacing.  
"You lie. You are a Time Lord. This woman is a Lyall. Have you allied with the Menoptra? Our detectors show they are massing in space to attack. Speak!"

"I know nothing of these Menoptra."

"We shall show you the fate which awaits all your ships, all your people…People…People," Terna closed her eyes as the thing controlling her seemed to be suddenly falling into some kind of fit. Her eyes snapped back open and they were large and wild, "Lost in the shadows. Lost in the stream. Where are they? Lonely, so lonely. Alone!"

"Please listen to me," the Doctor urged, "I have not finished my explanation."

"Alone. So alone," Terna's voice somehow slithered back to the forefront of her mind as the thing controlling her abruptly lost its hold. The Lyall staggered and swayed where she stood, her eyes rolling back in her head. The Doctor jumped forward, catching her before she fell over completely.

Ian attempted to go help him, but one of the large ants prevented him from moving forward.

"Stay where you are," the Doctor called to him before turning his attention back to Terna.  
"Terna? Terna, can you hear me?"

The Lyall's eyes fluttered open the barest amount. "D-Doctor?"

Tears brimming in her eyes, she suddenly scrambled backward, her whole body shaking. As she did so, a tendril suddenly detached from the wall and took aim.

"Doctor!" Ian yelled as it fired at the TARDIS. There was a blinding flash and a loud crack, but the energy rebounded off the time machine, scattering the insects.

"What's happened?" Vicki cried.

"It's unbelievable!" the Doctor exclaimed, "Unbelievable! What did you do in the ship, child? What controls did you touch?"

Vicki looked startled. "Well, I got thrown against the control panel and I just pressed any switches I could see. It suddenly became alive. I couldn't help it."

"You have performed a miracle, my dear," the Doctor declared, rushing over to embrace her, "You have re-aligned the fluid link. The power is back!"

Ian didn't seem to share his enthusiasm. "If only Barbara were here, we could go."

The Doctor turned to face the still frantic ants. "Trying to destroy my ship you will achieve nothing. Nothing! I have great secrets in my ship. We could help you."

"It doesn't want help," Terna whispered from her spot curled up on the floor. "It just wants blood."

"Terna…" the Doctor crouched down next to her.

She looked at him, her face stained with tears. "It was in my head. I could feel it worming around inside my brain."

"Terna, look at me," the Doctor gently touched the side of her face so she'd looked at him, "Now is not the time to fall apart. Do you understand?"

Terna sobbed quietly, frantically shaking her head. "Doctor, you don't understand; I _can't_ be possessed. Nothing can take control of my mind, it's like a giant web. The only thing that can do that to a Lyall is another Lyall."

"So this thing is the Lyall we've been looking for?"

Terna just continued to shake her head. "No, it isn't. It's something else."

"What do you mean?"

Terna started to respond, but was broken off as she cried out, grabbing her head. When she spoke next, it was with the voice of that creature, "If your ship can withstand our weapons, remember you cannot. Tell us the secret of its armor."

"Why do you have to do this?" the Doctor demanded, "You're torturing her. Please, set her free."

The Creature chuckled, twisting Terna's mouth into a sickening smirk. "Foolish, Time Lord. You are dealing with things you do not understand." Terna's arm gestured to the twittering ants. "The Zarbi do not have tongues. Now, tell us why your ship withstood our attack."

The Doctor shook his head. "I cannot tell you why my ship withstood the fire of that gun unless you tell me who or what you are and how you've come to have this power."

The Creature raised Terna's eyebrow. "You demand my secrets? Yield yours."

"What is that thing?" Vicki whispered to Ian, her voice trembling slightly.

"I don't know. I wish I knew where Barbara was."

The creature tilted Terna's head to the side, appearing thoughtful. "You are not with the Menoptra; I see that in this girl's mind…Girl, no. Woman. A girl no longer, forced to be a woman so she could be a Queen. A Queen, you say?" That lurid smiled returned, "The Crownless Queen."

"Please, I ask of you to release her," the Doctor said in a low voice.

The Creature chuckled, "Charming, but pleading will get you nowhere. The great secrets in your ship must be used against the invaders. Tell them to us, and in return, we offer you your freedom. For you and the fifth member of your party."

"You know where Barbara is?" Ian cried.

The Creature turned Terna's head to look at him, "She has been taken to the Crater of Needles beyond our Great Web. Will your secrets look into the stars?" it added to the Doctor.

"I have an astral map, if that answers your question."

"Will it show where the Menoptra are massing, where they will land?"

"I see. So it's the Menoptra that are invading your planet, hmm?"

The Creature nodded Terna's head. "Somewhere in space, beyond the range of our influence, they are grouping. They scatter false trails to mislead us. Their numbers are great. We are aware only of movement."

"And not of their position?"

The Creature pointed Terna's finger at the Doctor's chest. "This you must do."

"If I do, will you free us? _All_ of us? "

"Yes."

The Doctor nodded before gesturing pointedly at Ian. "I shall need assistance."

The Creature nodded Terna's head. "Bring your astral map out of your ship."

The Doctor went back to Ian and Vicki.  
"Now it is their turn to receive instructions."

Ian looked unnerved. "Doctor, are you certain we can trust that…thing?"

"Not in the slightest, but we don't have any other options. Let us go back into the TARDIS."

Vicki attempted to follow them, but a pair of Zarbi blocked her path.

"I think they want to keep me here as a hostage. You go in. I'll be all right."

Still with some reservations, the Doctor and Ian entered the ship to thankfully find it exactly as they left it.

However, the latter was still distressed about Barbara's absence.  
"No message from her. Nothing."

"At the very least we know of her location," the former reminded him.

"If we can trust that thing."

The Doctor dropped his eyes. "Poor Terna. She seemed to be in such terrible pain. I feel awful, dear boy. She had been so eager to be reunited with one of her own kind, but she finds this…whatever it is."

Ian nodded, glancing over his shoulder. "Yes. Do you think that kid'll be all right out there?"

"Vicki? I think so. Yes, I must do something about this face of yours," the Doctor remarked, remembering the blisters Ian had gotten from that poisonous plant. As he fished around in a cabinet for some ointment, the human man watched the Zarbi on the scanner.

"Those bugs are keeping their distance this time."

"Yes, it seems they've learnt their lesson. Here, dab some of that on your face." The Time Lord held out a canister of pale yellow cream to him, "There's some cotton wool there."

"Thanks," Ian accepted the cream, "What do you think they are, Doctor?"

"Hmm?"

"Those things out there."

"Well, to use the term of Earth, I suppose we should call them ants."

Ian gaped. "Ants? I've seen a colony of ants eat their way right through a house. That size, they could eat their way through a _mountain_. Why are they that big?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Size is only relative. In this rarified atmosphere, it appears that evolution has chosen that particular form of life on this planet."

"Ants?"

"Yes."

Ian shook his head. "So relentless, indestructible. What are we going to do? Have you got any ideas?"

"Well, it's this voice. It's this, this Queen of the ants, you might say," the Doctor replied in a low voice. "If I can only trick it into neutralizing this section of this area. I want you to try and track down Barbara, hmm?"

"Well, all right. Where did that creature say she was?"

"Some place called the Crater of Needles."

"Crater of Needles? Where's that?"

"The only clue I can give you, dear boy, it's beyond a Great Web."

Ian scowled. "That's not much help, is it?"

"No, it isn't." However, the Doctor didn't give Ian time to dwell on the matter any further as he went over to a closet beside the fault locater and pulled a large wheeled device that sort of looked like a gigantic cathode ray into view. "Come on. Give me a hand."

Ian assumed, as he went over to help the Doctor push the device through the TARDIS doors, that it was the astral map he'd mentioned.

"Oh, and by the way, I want you to take a couple of these," the Doctor whispered, discreetly passing him a handful of tiny blue tablets, "They'll be very good for your breathing in this rarified atmosphere."

"Oh. What about Barbara, Terna, Vicki?"

"Breathing wise, Terna will be fine. You leave Vicki to me, but when you do finally catch up with Barbara, see that she takes some. She's probably had the same trouble with breathing as we have."

After a moment, they managed to get the astral map outside the ship where the Zarbi were prowling about in apparent agitation. Terna was sitting on the floor with her head on her knees; Vicki was looking at her warily.

"Terna?" the Doctor called to her cautiously. "Is that you?"

"N-No."

"Oh, for heaven's sake, release her!" the Time Lord snapped as he stalked over to the Lyall's huddled form.

Her head suddenly snapped up, and she looked at him pleadingly.  
"Doctor!"

He jumped back in alarm. "Terna?"

"It's me…but it isn't," Terna's expression twisted as though she was struggling to speak properly. She dug her knuckles into her the sides of her head as tears continued to leak from her eyes. "I don't think-I'm not sure anymore! It's…It's trying to assimilate me. The webs are getting tangled together. Oh, Doctor, help me. Please!"

The Time Lord dropped to his knees in front of her, hands held out in front of him as he tried desperately to think of some way to aide her.

However, he could only look on helplessly as the Creature took hold of her again. "You have the information?"

The Doctor took a deep breath, trying to remain calm as he looked into those familiar, yet completely alien, blue eyes.  
"You. What are you doing to her?"

"You didn't answer our question."

"And you didn't answer mine, whoever you are." The Doctor straightened up, his eyes darkening as he regarded the Creature possessing Terna's form, "You should know this: if you hurt her in anyway, you'll end up with a lot more trouble on your hands then you could ever anticipate, even with all your power."

The Creature chuckled, springing Terna to her feet, so they were once again eye level. "What could you possibly do to us, Time Lord? We have the power of a Lyall; we have their Queen at our mercy. Now, we command you to respond: do you have the information we seek?"

"No. Some kind of force of yours has jammed my instruments and whilst it continues, I cannot use them."

The Creature made Terna scowl. "We cannot suspend our functions for your experiments."

The Doctor shrugged, gesturing to Ian who was still holding the astral map. "Very well, very well, take this thing away. I'm afraid we can't help you to locate your invaders."

The Creature growled. "Alright. We will withhold certain forces near your instruments. If you take advantage of this, you will die."

The Zarbi slowly sunk to the ground. Vicki and Ian looked about in confusion when Terna suddenly collapsed.

"Terna!" The Doctor caught her before she could hit the ground, holding her head against his palm as he felt her skin burning beneath his fingertips. "My dear. Oh good gracious, she's burning up. Vicki, see to her; I must speak with Chesterton for a moment. We don't have much time." He gently lowered the Lyall to the ground as the young girl rushed over to help her.

"Well?" Ian asked when he walked over to him, still a little shaken.  
"It appears, my boy, it's obliged. It's neutralized and completely immobilized this section."

"There's one way to make sure, Doctor." He then tried to leave the room, but froze when the Zarbi nearest to the door stirred slightly.

"Ian!" Terna screamed his name as she sat bolt upright.

Vicki leapt back in front "Terna?"

The Lyall slumped forward, her eyes unfocused as she continued to mumble, "Don't leave…Can't leave…M-Must leave."

She then looked towards the Zarbi that had moved when Ian had attempted to go. She pointed at it, seemingly causing it to turn around and sit back down again. With a groan, the Lyall flopped back down on the ground again in an apparent faint.

Ian looked confused. "Terna? Is she back?"

"It's time you left," the Doctor replied urgently, having somewhat grasped what was going on. "She may only be able to maintain influence for a short time. Now go!"

"Aright."

"Where are you going?" Vicki cried.

"I'm going to find Barbara," Ian explained to her, "Now, you look after the Doctor and Terna. I'll be back."

With a reassuring wave, Ian then turned and sprinted from the room, disappearing into the millions of writhing tendrils.  
Vicki turned back to Terna as she began to stir again.  
"Doctor, she's coming 'round," she exclaimed as the Lyall opened her eyes, gasping loudly before it collapsed into choking as she clutched her throat; her blue eyes were wide and still wet, and her face was flushed with an invasive heat.

"Oh, my dear. How are you feeling?" the Doctor asked, gripping her shoulders to try and steady her.

"Like I was choking and suddenly released," Terna gasped, "But it hasn't left, Doctor. I can still feel it in the back of my mind, burrowed in like a parasite. I…I don't know what it is. It's coming back."

"You must stay strong, my dear," the Doctor gently touched the side of her face. "I don't mean to put pressure on you, but you're the only thing keeping that creature at bay. Here. Have a piece of chocolate," he fished into the pocket of his waist coat and pulled out half of a candy bear, which Terna gingerly accepted. "There you are."

"So why is one of your own people trying to kill us." Vicki blurted.

The Doctor glared at her. "Now, Vicki-."

"It's not one of my people," Terna cut him off. "At least, not entirely. It's like the power doesn't belong somehow. Like it was stolen." She closed her eyes, shaking her head. "But…maybe the Lyall has been here so long its mutated or become warped or-." She broke off, seemingly overwhelmed.

"There. There, my dear. It will be alright," the Doctor assured her, putting an arm around her shaking form.

"Doctor, what about Ian?" Vicki inquired.

"Oh, come, come. You don't have to worry about him," the Doctor replied, waving a hand dismissevly. "He's very good at this sort of thing. He'll be back." As he spoke, he gave Terna's shoulder one last squeeze before getting to his feet and going back over to the astral map.

"What are you doing, Doctor?" Terna asked him.

"Stay where you are, my dear. I'm trying to discover a little more about this invasion fleet; the more we know, the safer it will be for us." With that, he pressed a few buttons on the device and then turned a knob. At first, there were just a chorus of static before a voice was able to be made out amongst the haze.

_Advance units, rendezvous._

"Is that the Menoptra speaking?" Vicki asked, getting to her feet and going over to get a better look at the astral map.

"I'll just turned up this booster," the Doctor declared. "Wait a minute."

_Menop pathfinder to leader one. Range to Vortis 1-4-0._

"Just turn up the recorder," Terna urged, standing up and slowly moving to stand beside the Doctor as he fiddled with the machine, wrapping her long cape tighter around herself as she did so.

_Leader to Spearhead. Lock course on bearing 2-6-5. Speed point 0-1. We jettisoned craft at altitude 5 above Crater of Needles. Individual descent to Sayo plateau, north of the Crater_.

After these words were uttered, the signal fizzled out and lapsed back into white noise.

The Doctor looked at Terna and Vicki. "Did you understand any of that, hmm?"

The latter shook her head. "Crater of Needles, or something."

The Doctor nodded. "Yes. That's where they've taken Barbara."

An alarm suddenly sounded, and the Zarbi got up.

The Doctor looked at the ceiling. "It sounds as though we're under attack."

"It's Ian, I know it is," Vicki cried, "They've caught him."

Terna closed her eyes, shaking her head. "No. He got out. Just in time he-Ah!" She cried out, buckling over.

Vicki leapt back with a squeak of fright. "Oh no! It's coming back."

"It knows Ian got free," Terna gasped, visibly struggling. "It's angry-It doesn't want the Web to be broken. No. No! I won't, you disgusting-Get out of my head!" She screamed so loud it scattered the Zarbi.

"Terna, look at me," the Doctor grasped the sides of her face in order to maintain her attention. She looked at him with eyes that were full of fright, so there was a small comfort that she was still in control. "Listen to me. Don't speak to it. Don't listen to it. Don't even think about it."

Terna let out a small sob, tears pooling once more. "What am I supposed to think about?"

"Hot chocolate. Remember?" the Doctor replied softly, smiling as he gently brushed his fingers against the side of her face. "In Mexico. Hot chocolate, with marshmallows. Oh, wait. You don't like those. Whipped cream then."

Terna chocked. "Doctor, I'm scared."

"I know, but you can't let it win."

"Doctor, I can feel it-it's trying to absorb me, to swallow me up," Terna whispered, the tears running thickly down her cheeks, dripping onto the Doctor's fingers. "One Web consumes another-Doctor I can't-."

"Terna, please." The Lyall's eyes slipped closed. "Terna!"

She slowly stepped away from the Doctor, reopening her eyes as the Creature spoke with a cold, barely contained rage.  
"You have tried to escape. Why?"

"What are you doing to her?" the Doctor demanded, his eyes blazing. "What did she mean by this-this absorbing into another web?"

The Creature made Terna smile. It was sickening. "We have the power of one Lyall. We could always have another."

The Doctor's hearts skipped a beat as he pieced together the Creature's words. Horror filled his eyes.  
"You will do no such thing!"

"We already have," the Creature replied simply. "Now answer us: why have you tried to escape?"

The Doctor glowered. "I'm still here."

"Where is the other male?"

"Why question me?" the Time Lord spat, "Surely you can see our movements."

"You will no longer be trusted." The Creature made Terna turn towards the nearest Zarbi. "Cuff the girl."

The large ant stepped forward; it was holding a gold collar between two of its spindly legs. Vicki shrank back as it approached, but there was nowhere to run as the insect placed the device around her neck. Instantly, the young girl stiffened, and her expression went blank.

"Were we ever trusted?" the Doctor growled as he watched Vicki be subjugated. He was so angry, he could barely see straight.

The Creature made Terna smile again. "We can kill you all. We can kill her." It pointed at Terna's chest before the smile collapsed, and the Lyall Queen screamed, falling to the floor where she laying writhing in agony.

"Stop. Stop!" the Doctor struggled to keep his voice even. The sight of Terna in such pain before him made him want to be sick. "Of what good will that do you? Do you not need her mouth? And if you hurt her, I won't tell you the information I've uncovered."

Terna's body instantly froze and then sat up. "Information? Of the Menoptra invasion? Speak."

"I am still collating the various readings of my instruments."

The Creature narrowed Terna's eyes. "You lie. It is another of your tricks."

"That is for you to decide," the Doctor declared, inwardly thrilled he now how at least the slightest bit of control over this creature. "Am I really lying or do I possess this information, hmm?"

"You lie-No!" Terna's voice broke through, "He speaks truth. He lies," the Creature hissed. "No, he really is-Augh!"

Terna buckled over as she and the Creature battled for control.  
"Back down in the dark where you belong, frightened little girl," the latter sneered.

"You won't have me, not now," Terna yelled, "Not while I still draw breath!"

The Creature made her chuckle. "In this fragile mortal body? It's a walking corpse."

"Augh! L-Leave us!" Terna turned to a Zarbi, pointing at the still frozen Vicki. "Remove her collar. Immediately." The insect obliged. "Away!"

"Oh!" Vicki gasped as the spell was broken, "Oh, Doctor. That thing made me go to sleep."

"Yes, I know, my dear, I know," the Time Lord soothed her as she staggered into his arms. "I think Terna's earned us a little breathing space."

The Lyall nodded weakly. "What did you tell it?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"Are you going to tell them about the Menoptra?" Vicki asked weakly.

"Just about as much as I ever want to. We'll see. Now, I want you to nip into the ship and bring me back a little red box, in it is a recording compound," the Doctor instructed the young girl. "You'll find it on the left of the console and bring the first aid kit too. Go at once and come back immediately."

Vicki nodded before hurrying into the time ship.

The Doctor looked over at Terna, who was standing completely still with her eyes squeezed shut and her hands over her ears.

"Now, my dear. Why don't you sit down?"

"I can't…I can't stop, Doctor," the Lyall stammered. "It'll absorb me if I do."

"I won't let that happen, Terna."

"I'm paralyzed. I don't know what to do."

The Doctor smiled reassuringly, grasping her hands in his own. "Never stop fighting. Come, my dear. Where's that zeal of yours? Aren't you Eternal? Hmm? Member of the strongest family of the oldest race in all the universe? Immortal and forever? You can lick this. I know you can."

Terna looked at him, touched. She then sniffed loudly, wiping her eyes on the arm. "Thank you, Time Lord."

"There now," the Doctor settled her down on the stone floor. "Have more chocolate. It'll calm you."

Terna sighed as she munched the piece of candy. "I don't know what I expected when we came here; the naïve part of me thought I'd walk out those doors and run into the arms of another blue eyed humanoid amidst a paradise where they've been living sheltered and content for a few months at the most. Instead I come to a world barren and decrepit with the echoes of my own kind greedily devouring anything it can get its hands on if only to keep itself alive. It's become a glutton, a parasite…a monster."

"And it might not be a Lyall," the Doctor reminded her.

Terna blinked. "What?"

"When it had hold of your mind, it spoke of how it had _attained_ the power of a Lyall, that it was hoping for more in you. Its attempting to absorb your power, perhaps it has already taken another's."

"Do you really think so?"

The Doctor shrugged. "You said yourself that the creature felt wrong to you, and it would explain how it was still able to possess you."

"Yes, but-."

At that moment, Vicki reappeared from inside the TARDIS. "Is this it, Doctor?"

"Oh, I said a _white _box, child! Do you ever think?" the Doctor exclaimed in exasperation, jumping to his feet and taking the offending case from her. "This is one of my specimens. Look."

He opened the box to show several glass jars. He lifted one up to reveal a paralyzed spider about the size of an adult man's hand.

Vicki recoiled. "Ew!"

"Now, take it back. Terna's deathly afraid," the Doctor ordered, holding the jar out to her.

A Zarbi recoiled at the sight of the spider.

"Doctor, look!" Vicki exclaimed, "It's frightened."

()()()

Ian had barely managed to escape the strange structure with his life. His mind was racing, and his heart was hammering against his ribs.

He scrambled up the cliff side, out of the valley and onto the plateau. He'd barely scaled the precipice when a shadow passed over him. He froze and glanced up in time for a massive winged creature to land directly in front of him.

Ian's mouth fell open; although the creature appeared to be humanoid in shape and size but was covered in black and yellow fur and had some of the more distinctive characteristics of a butterfly, including a large pair of silvery wings.

Ian couldn't move, torn between staying and fighting or sprinting back into the valley where he'd undoubtedly be recaptured.

The butterfly looked down at him with a pair of eyes the literal size of dinner plates. Ian tensed, but the creature had yet to attack.

"You," the butterfly spoke, and it had a voice like a human woman, "You look like that person we found wandering the plains."

Ian blinked. "Huh?"

After a tense moment, the creature explained that it had encountered another 'wingless child' that shared Ian's features, although female. Ian didn't have to be a genius to figure out that she was talking about Barbara.

"I'm trying to find her," he explained to the butterfly, whom he'd learned was named Vrestin, "She was taken to the Crater of Needles."

Vrestin's eyes grew even larger. "Do you still intend to go to the Crater?"

"Yes, I do."

"Many of my friends are enslaved there," Vrestin hung her head, her magnificent wings wilting like dying flowers, "They tear off our wings so that we may not escape."

Ian looked surprise. "Well, what do you expect when you invade a planet?"

"_Invade _a planet?" Vrestin cried. "Vortis is _ours_. We, the Menoptra, are reclaiming it."

Ian was surprised. "You're a Menoptra? Vortis is your planet?"

"Of course," Vrestin grew still when the whining sound of the Zarbi reached their ears. Ian dove behind a rock. He peered over the edge in time to see the Zarbi scrambling back to the large mass of tendrils in the center of the valley.  
_Are they through looking for me?_

"They are returning to the Carsinome," Vrestin answered his unspoken question, "They do not search for long."

"Did those things invaded your planet?" Ian inquired, stepping out from behind the rock.

Vrestin looked at him in surprise. "You do not know our story?"

"No, I don't. Tell me."

"The Zarbi are not an intelligent species, but they were essential to the life pattern here. We lived at peace with them, until they were made militant by the Dark Power."

Ian raised an eyebrow. "The Dark Power? What's that?"

"We call it the Animus. At that time, the Carsinome appeared," Vrestin gestured to the massive structure in the valley below them. "Grew like a fungus. We had no weapons; we had not had the need, and by the time we sensed the danger, the Zarbi were too strong."

"The creature is called the Animus?"

"Yes."

Ian looked thoughtful. "Have you ever heard any mention of a Lyall?"

Vrestin shook her head. "No. Should I have?"

"Never mind. So you left the planet?"

Vrestin nodded sadly. "We had no choice."

"Where did you go?"

"At that time, these strange moons appeared," the Menoptra indicated to the dozens of planets lingering in the perpetually dark sky. "One of them became our home, those of us who could reach it."

"Can you live up there?"

Vrestin bristled. "It is a dim, half-world and our wings grow weaker. We must return to Vortis, for when the Carsinome encircles the planet, it will be too late."

"And now you're ready to attack?"

"No, we are not ready," Vrestin asserted sadly, "But we must try."

"I see, and what's your part in all this?"

"Three of us were sent here to prepare the way for the invasion force. Now, I am alone. I do not know what to do."

Ian raised an eyebrow. "What happened to the other two?"

Vrestin whimpered.

"They were killed," Ian surmised.

"One is dead. The other was taken to the Crater."

"The Crater of Needles? My friend Barbara was taken to that place."

Vrestin looked at him. "Friend Barbara?"

"Yes, my friend Barbara. Vrestin, we've both lost friends. Come with me to the Crater. You know the country. We can collect your friend and mine."

Vrestin dropped her eyes. "There are many of my friends in the Crater of Needles."

"All the more reason to go."

Vrestin nodded, her wings regaining some of their life. "Yes, Ian. We will do as you say."

"Good. Come on then."

Ian then allowed Vrestin to lead him along the plateau, guided by the stars as they raced across the grey dust. They both felt horribly exposed, but the barren world Vortis had become provided little cover.

Once they'd cleared the first plateau, they stopped to catch their breath.

"That is the way to the Crater of Needles," Vrestin explained, pointing down another slope towards a vast canyon that seemed to branch out into dozens of crevices stretching miles.

"How far?" Ian asked.

"You cannot fly. It will take two hours."

Zarbi appeared from behind rocks.

Ian heard them before he saw them. "Vrestin, quick! This way!"

He grabbed her hand and pulled her along a cliff face to a cleft in the wall.

"Vrestin, in here," Ian urged her into the narrow crevice.

There was a loud crunching as their feet touched the soft ground, and Ian felt the floor of the small cave sag beneath him.

"Get back!" Vrestin tried to shove him back outside. "The ground is giving way!"

Ian saw her slipping as the rocks crumbled around her.  
"Here, take hold of my hand."

"Let go! You'll be pulled down with me!"

The floor collapsed, and both Ian and Vrestin fell down into the darkness in a shower of dust.

Ian wasn't sure if he'd blacked out or not, but he might have. Coughing heavily, he pushed himself up into a kneeling position, thankful that nothing appeared to be broken or that none of the debris had fallen on him.

As the dust cleared, Ian could see that he and Vrestin had fallen into a chamber with high walls that were covered in strange symbols chiseled into the rock.

"It seemed as if we fell a long, long way." Vrestin's voice came out of the shadows.

"Yeah. Where are we?" Ian asked as he stood up; the female Menoptra did the same.

Before she could respond, they were surrounded by shadowed creatures carrying carved crystal-like spears.

()()()

The Crater of Needles was aptly named. It was a large hole in the ground several miles long that was flanked by a natural wall of needle-like stalagmites. Zarbi patrolled up and down the dismal lines of wingless Menoptra, who trudged along the acid river that sliced through the center of the Crater, heaping soggy mounds of slimy and inedible vegetation into the stream where it was carried out of the Crater to an unknown location.

Barbara was stumbling along with another disgusting load of vegetables, trying to ignore the tightness in her chest as the Zarbi circled around her, not unlike a pack of hungry vultures.

A hand on her shoulder made her pause. "You are breathing too fast, Barbara."

Barbara turned to see Hrostar, the Menoptra she'd been taken to the Crater with. The only apparent survivor of the trio that had saved her from the power of the gold bracelet.

His image blurred at the edges, and Barbara blinked rapidly.  
"Oh, my eyes are so sore. Everything seems to flare when I look at it.

"It is the atmosphere of this planet. Rest," Hrostar urged, settling Barbara down on a rock. "I will watch for Zarbi."

As he turned from her, Babara caught sight of the large open gashes running vertical across his shoulder blades, red, raw and the only reminder of the limbs he'd recently lost. "Are your wounds healed?"

Hrostar looked at her, and his large eyes were so full of sadness it made Barbara want to cry. "I shall never fly again."

"No. Why do they make us do-?"

Barbara stopped when a Zarbi approached, and hurriedly pretended to be working. After a moment, the large insect left.

"Why do they make us heap this vegetation into the acid streams?"

"It is the raw material for the Carsinome, where the Zarbi live," Hrostar explained, "Fed into these pools, it is drawn to the Center through underground streams, and as we pour it in, the Carsinome grows and reaches out across Vortis."

"What lies at the Center?"

Hrostar shook his head, his expression grave. "None of us have ever seen it and lived, but we call it the Animus."

Another Zarbi waddled over, twittering angrily. Hrostar held up one hand to quell it while he helped Babara to her feet with the other, indicating they were getting back to work.

"Do you understand them?" the human woman asked as the insect left.

Hrostar shook his head. "No. They are just cattle. They do not have any speech nor motive of their own. They are just controlled sentries. We came here to liberate them. It was disaster. Vrestin, the others…" He trailed off, his eyes once again swimming in that deep sadness. "We arrived in advance of the spearhead. Our weapons proved useless. They were taken by the Zarbi, who were everywhere. The three of us you met in the cave got away with the communicator, but we could not contact our spearhead."

"When is it due to arrive?"

"Soon."

"And how will you overcome the Animus?"

Hrostar's expression brightened somewhat. "With a new invention of our scientists. It has not been tested, but we have placed our faith in the Isop-tope."

()()()

Vicki was sitting beside the TARDIS while the Doctor worked by the astral map. She watched the Zarbi pace around the entrance to the room, long, carved spears clasped in their mandibles.  
"Doctor?" the young girl hissed. "Why don't we use the spider now as a weapon to get out of here?"

"Because I think we might find it more valuable later on, child, when Ian and Barbara have returned."

"What spider?" Terna inquired from her spot on the floor beside the astral map.

"Don't worry about it," the Doctor replied dismissively.

"Do you think it'll be safe where we put it?" Vicki continued, discreetly pointing to the compartment at the base of the astral map where they'd stashed the jar.

"Oh, a hundred percent!" the Doctor proclaimed. "A hundred percent!"

At that moment, a Zarbi came in with a collar.

"Vicki-Augh!" Terna tried to warn her, but was once again caught off guard as the Creature resurfaced in her mind.

"Oh no!" Vicki cried, scrambling away from the Lyall as the Zarbi approached her.

"Use the spider, child!" the Doctor exclaimed.

Vicki made a dive for the compartment in the astral map, but couldn't get to it in time, and the collar was slipped around her neck. The Doctor looked to see that Terna had once again lost control; it seemed her ability to resist was steadily weakening.

"You delay," the Creature snarled, "Now the child will die. Thus you will learn total obedience."

The Doctor's eyes flickered to Vicki, a spark of fear flared briefly in the pit of his stomach.  
"If the child dies, you will not learn this information: I have located your enemy," he declared, fighting to keep his voice even. "My calculations are complete."

"You lie." The Creature regarded the Doctor with an expression of Terna's he'd come to associate with when she was about to smack him, and he recoiled instinctively.

"The Menoptra are massing on the planet Pictos," he insisted.

The Creature raised one of Terna's eyebrows. "Pictos?"

"It appears they are heading straight for Vortis. If you waste time in idle vengeance, in face of such an invasion, you will all be annihilated."

However, this did not seem to faze the Creature as that same serpentine smile once again slithered across Terna's lips. "Where will the Menoptra land?"

"If I am given peace of mind for a while, I can find that out. That is, if it's not too late."

"Go."

"Not before the child is released."

The Creature made Terna glower. "Go now."

"First, the child." The Doctor stared the Creature down, it's expression was so disturbing that he almost lost his nerve, but he couldn't break his gaze for Vicki's sake.

The Creature relented. "Very well."

It gestured to a Zarbi, who pushed one of the large grubs away from Vicki and took the collar off her.

Vicki gasped as she was released, swaying somewhat where she stood. "Oh, Doctor, it makes you feel so dizzy," she exclaimed as he put an arm around her shoulders to steady her.

"Yes, I know, my dear, I know."

"Did-Did you tell that thing where the Menoptra are going to land?"

"Just about enough for our survival. If I tell them everything, our usefulness will be ended. Now, we've got to get out of here, and I want to find a place to hide this recorder. I don't propose to make them aware of the place of attack."

The alarm suddenly sounded again, the noise accompanied by the sound of dozens of Zarbi skittering about through the corridors of the structure.

"There's another panic on by the looks of it," Terna remarked, once again in control.

"Yes, there's no doubt they've alerted their invasion forces," the Doctor proclaimed. "They've acted very quickly on the little information that I gave them. Now, Vicki, while they're busy I want you to nip back into the ship, find my walking stick and bring it straight back here. Hurry!"

()()()

A blaring sound echoed across the Crater of Needles, causing the Zarbi to go wild, scampering about and pushing Menoptra over.  
Hrostar pulled the weakened Barbara out of one's path as it trundled past them.

"It's some kind of alarm," an old Menoptra named Prapillus remarked.

"I hope they haven't found the-." Hrostar started, but was interrupted as a group of Zarbi buffeted against them, herding their prisoners into an enclosure as though there were cattle being contained before a storm.

()()()

Ian was being interrogated by giant caterpillars.

At least, that's what the creatures that had captured him and Vrestin appeared to be. They had hunched, tube-like bodies with humped back, stumpy arms that tightly clutched their spears. A glossy exoskeleton stretched over their shoulders and their eyes were bloated and white from obviously decades spent underground.

"We were chased! We fell!" Ian attempted to explain, but his words appeared to go unheeded.

"They are too simple to understand, Ian," Vrestin said to him.

"Hands in there," commanded a female caterpillar.

Ian and Vrestin were then pushed from behind so their clasped hands were dunked into a strange grey liquid which then solidified around their fists.

"Primitives," Vrestin spat, struggling against the hardened slime. "What is it you want from us?"

"Hetra," the female caterpillar turned to an aged male, who hoped over to them.

"We know that from the roof comes hate!" the old one, Hetra, declared. "The liquid death! Creeping destroyer of we Optera. Yet you stand upright. We will consult the Chasm of Lights, and if you come from above, you will die!"

Ian exchanged a glance with Vrestin, both terrified and very, very confused.

()()()

Barbara sat huddled next to Hrostar, Prapillus and a female Menoptra named Hlynia, who sounded so young she might have been the equivalent of Vicki's age. They whispered amongst themselves while the Zarbi distributed food.

In the distance, the alarm continued to ring.  
"Hrostar, is it the invasion?" Prapillus inquired.

"The spearhead? Yes, I think so."

"Then tell us what we must do."

"Nothing yet."

"Do nothing?" Hlynia cried, "But we've waited generations for this moment."

Hrostar shushed her. "And it will come, but a false move and all is lost. Success depends on surprise. If this is an alert, how did they know?" He turned to Barbara, "Your friends. This man of science you tell me of? Could he be helping them?"

"No. No, I'm sure he wouldn't."

Hrostar gritted his teeth. "How, then, do they know?"

"Know what?" Barbara asked.

"Our spearhead plans to land on the Sayo Plateau, just above the crater here, to the north."

"Well, that doesn't mean to say that the Doctor told them. The Zarbi must be alerted everywhere, not just here."

Hrostar shook his head gravely. "With the Zarbi weaponry, they will be massacred."

"Are your forces armed?" Barbara asked him.

"With useless weapons. Our plan was for an attack on the Animus. We would have landed in secret, overcome the Zarbi, and destroyed the power that rules them by sheer force of numbers."

Barbara paled. "A suicide army."

"It would have been suicide to stay where we were," Hrostar insisted. "The invasion had to come now. We did not choose the time. It is now, and failure will mean failure for all time."

"Hrostar, the spearhead must be warned," Prapillus urged.

"But how? We smashed the signaling equipment."

"We need to get the top of the plateau," Barbara declared, "Intercept and warn them."

"Yes, we must," Prapillus agreed.

"There is a larvae gun pointed straight at this door," Hrostar reminded him, gesturing to the large grub slithering about at the entrance to their prison pen.

"We know."

"I saw thirty or more Zarbi leaving the Crater by the Great Web," Hlynia hissed eagerly, "I do not think there will be many more left to guard us."

"Look, we must try," Barbara urged. "It only needs one of us to get through."

Hrostar sighed. "If only we could destroy the larvae gun."

Prapillus looked thoughtful. "I may do that."

Hrostar looked at him in surprise. "You? How?"

"I know the Zarbi," the older Menoptra replied with a sly smirk. Before Hrostar could protest, he then turned and pushed away a spar at the back of the enclosure, providing a means for him to slip out.

()()()

The Doctor gritted his teeth as he delicately dragged the still functional gold collar across the room using his walking stick while Vicki kept the Zarbi at bay using the jarred spider.

"Good!" the young girl exclaimed when the Doctor had managed to pull the device over to them, "You've got it."

"Now the question is how to make it safe, hmm?"

"It's gold, isn't it?" Terna inquired from her spot leaning against the astral map.

"Yes, there's no mistaking it, my dear," the Doctor replied. "Gold and something more than gold. Gold is the symbol of power on this planet, which brings me to an incident with Ian and his pen."

Vicki raised an eyebrow. "Ian and his pen?"

"Yes, it was a gold pen that flew out of his hand just as he was about to give it to the Doctor," Terna explained. "Now, we have got to find something to re-align this power."

"What?" Vicki asked.

The Doctor laughed nervously. "Yes, that is the question, isn't it?"

()()()

Barbara scanned the perimeter of the Crater of Needles; just moments before, Prapillus had ducked behind one of the gigantic stalagmites.

"Any sign of him?" she whispered to Hrostar.

He didn't respond; his eyes never wavering from the entrance to the enclosure where a Zarbi had been standing a mere moment ago. "It's left the larvae gun. It's our chance to destroy it."

"Destroy it? Well, can't we use it ourselves?" Barbara asked.

"Only the Zarbi can control and fire them," Hlynia explained.

"Get ready," Hrostar urged them.

A second later, a rock, obviously thrown by Prapillus, sailed over their heads and collided with a stone formation, distracting the Zarbi.

"Now!"

Prapillus sprang out of hiding, and he and Hrostar rushed the Zarbi, flipping it onto on its back. Barbara and Hylnia double teamed the larvae gun, holding onto the grub's shell. The repulsive insect shrieked and writhed, wriggling its dozens of spindly legs. Just when Barbara feared they might lose their grip, Hrostar rushed over and picked up the larva. It continued to scream, the legs wiggling madly as he hoisted it over its head and then brought it down against a rock, squashing it. The shell split down the middle and the soft, pale insides leaked through the crevices, dribbling down the dark stone.

Hrostar stood over it, breathing heavily while Barbara fought the urge to be sick.

A moment later, Prapillus approached them.  
"Is the gun dead?"

Hrostar wiped his brow. "Yes."

"I can lead us to the plateau," Hlynia announced.

"Well, come on then, quickly," Barbara urged as the group scrambled up the side of the crater amidst all the panic around them.

()()()

The Doctor had had the control collar connected to the astral map for several minutes, trying to get a reading on its energy signature.

"Have you finished now, Doctor?" Vicki inquired.

"Yes, I think so, my dear. Well, now we know the TARDIS can be used as an opposing force, the question is, which is the stronger, hmm?"

Terna grimaced. "What'll happen if you're wrong?"

"What will happen? Well, the astral map will be ruined, of course, but I'm afraid we have no choice. Now just stand back a bit, my dear."

The Doctor flicked a switch and there was a deafening 'bang!' Terna screamed and covered her ears as the Doctor staggered backward and fell flat on his back.

"Doctor!" Vick rushed over to him as he slowly got to his feet.

He waved her help aside before cautiously putting his hand on the collar. There was a pause as all three of them held their breath, but nothing happened to him.

However, their relief was short lived as several Zarbi suddenly swarmed them, twittering angrily.

"It was nothing!" Vicki cried. "Just a fuse on one of our instruments. You-."

She was cut off when the Creature's voice once again came from Terna's mouth. "The time to complete your findings. Report."

"It is still incomplete," the Doctor insisted.

The Creature made Terna glower. "Excuses."

"No doubt your creatures told you about the explosion." The Doctor held up the recording device, "This is what caused the delay. You must wait."

The Creature tilted Terna's head to the side. "What is it you hold?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing. Merely a piece of damaged equipment."

However, as their poor luck would have it, a transmission suddenly blared through the recording device:

_Force on bearing 2-6-5. Speed point 0-1. We jettison craft at altitude 5 above Crater of Needles. Individual descent to Sayo Plateau north of the Crater._

The Creature's anger flared in Terna's eyes. "You were in possession of the information all the time! You will be dealt with when the invasion has been repelled." A twisted smile slowly curled across Terna's lips. "In the meantime…"

The Creature's control suddenly snapped, and Terna fell to the floor screaming and convulsing.

"Terna!" the Doctor sprinted over to her, Vicki close behind.

"What's happened?"

As the Doctor knelt down beside the Lyall, she coiled up on her side, shaking and writhing. He gingerly touched her shoulder and quickly redrew his hand. "Her body's hot. It's not supposed to be hot."

Vicki whimpered. "Is she…?"

The Doctor rolled her over onto her back, and his hearts dropped into his stomach.

Terna's eyes were white, completely empty.

Vicki gasped. "What's happened?"

The Doctor didn't answer her as his hands hovered helplessly over Terna's motionless form. "Oh, Terna. Oh my dear."  
Anger flared in his chest as he leapt to his feet. "Give her back!" He shouted at the ceiling, unsure if the Creature could hear him, but he didn't care. He was practically seeing red, he was so furious. "Give her back at once! Do you hear? I'm no good to you if she's dead. Do you hear me? I won't tell you anything. Anything! Give her back!"

"Doctor!"

The Time Lord turned as two Zarbi approached them and put gold collars around both their necks before either of them had a chance to resist.

()()()

The four escapees from the Crater of Needles paused on a ledge at the bottom of a cliff.

"The plateau is just above us," Hlynia called over her shoulder.

"We will remain here until the spearhead arrives," Hrostar announced.

"Well, at least we got here in time," Barbara declared, breathing heavily with exertion.

"You stay on guard here, Hlynia," Hrostar order the younger Menoptra as he gripped the weary human's hand and lead her against the back of the cliff side, out of view of the Zarbi below them.

At that moment, Prapillus sprinted towards them, having hung back to observe the enemy.  
"The Zarbi are moving in, surrounding the plateau."

Hrostar's face fell. "They did know. They did know where the invasion was set to land!"

"We must wait for the spearhead!" Hlynia insisted.

Hrostar clenched his jaw. "This Doctor must have betrayed us!"

()()()

Ian couldn't think of anything more humiliating then being executed by gigantic caterpillars, but that seemed to be what was about to happen.

"Every creature who invades our domain comes only to prey on us," the old leader caterpillar (or Optera rather) named Hetra declared, "You are guilty."

"Throw them in the fire chasm!" the female Optera, who Ian had learned was named Nemini, cried.

"Will you kill your own kind?" Ian exclaimed, gesturing to Vrestin to the best of his ability due to his hands being submerged in hardened cement.

Hetra glowered at him. "Listen, stranger, you are both from that wilderness, above ground where the light blinds, the air chokes, where only destroyer races live and from where none of us who has gone forth has ever returned. You come foraging into our world only for new victims. Take them!" he commanded his underlings to start forward.

They grab Ian and Vrestin at the elbows, forcing them to lift the heavy blocks their hands were encased in off the ground as they were pulled to their feet.

"Listen!" Vrestin cried as Ian struggled against his captors. "This wilderness you speak of belongs to_ you_. We are coming in our legions to destroy the Dark Power and its Zarbi slaves."

Hetra looked at her, his bloated eyes conveying confusion. "The Zarbi?"

"They seized this planet long ago, enslaved your forbearers and mine who remained," the Menoptra explained, "They are spreading the poisonous web of the Animus to every corner of Vortis."

Nemini giggled. "As long as we kill intruders, we are safe."

"Don't you understand?" Ian snapped at her, "You are Menoptra, like her."

Hetra appeared stunned. "The Menoptra?"

"You speak of our Gods!" Nemini shrieked before all of the Optera turned in unison and bowed to the symbols carved on the walls.

"Your Gods? The Menoptra are your kinsmen," Vrestin declared, "Your wings withered on your bodies while you crawled blindly underground, like slugs. You were born to the greatest freedom of all creatures. To peace, beauty and light!"

Hetra growled. "It is death for us up there."

"This is not your element," Vrestin insisted.

"If you throw us into the fire, you destroy your own future," Ian added.

Nemini twittered at him angrily. "Prove what you say."

Vrestin stepped forward despite her restraints. "I am Vrestin, a leader of the Menoptra. We have come to destroy the Dark Power who rules this planet. We need your help."

She then opened her wings, and all of the Optera bowed in awe.

()()()

Barbara was becoming anxious, feeling exposed on the top of the plateau as they awaited the spearhead. "They're not here yet."

Prapillus shivered. "I feel the Zarbi are watching."

"Quiet," Hrostar snapped at him, seemingly as anxious as the others but attempting to hide it.

A second later, a shadow passed over the group. Barbara looked up and her mouth fell open as several Menoptra dropped out of seemingly nowhere and alighted on the ground in front of them.  
They really could fly!

Hrostar addressed the one in the center of the group. "Spearhead?"

The leader cocked their head to the side. "Code word?" He spoke with a voice that sounded as though he were their equivalent of Ian's age.

"Electron."

The spearhead leader bowed in recognition. "I am Hilio. Where is your pilot party?"

"Destroyed. You need to get your force off the plateau."

Hilio's eyes widened. "Why?"

"Our weapons are useless," Hrostar spat. "The Zarbi have our rendezvous. Disperse the spearhead. They will be massacred."

Hilio shook his head. "It is too late. We are already committed to attack."

"Look!" Babara pointed towards the horizon where the Zarbi and larvae grubs were massing. The group of insects ran into more Menoptra and the groups opened fire.

The deafening sound of gunfire filled the air as smoke and ash erupted around them, mixing with the stench of venom and the screams of the Menoptra as they fell.  
They were no match.

Blood splattered the grey ground as Barbara and Hrostar started running.

The former glanced over her shoulder to see a few of the Zarbi were barreling after them.  
"They're still following us."

"We'll try the crater's edge."

Barbara grabbed Hrostar's hand. "Well, come on. Hurry!"

As they ran, they heard Hilo cry out from behind them. "Spearhead, retreat!"

Barbara instinctively ducked as several Menoptra swooped over her head. As they flew out of sight, a Zarbi jumped out from behind a rock. With a yell, Hrostar tackled it to the ground.

He picked up a rock and smashed it against the large ant's cranium. Babara heard a sickening crunch as the male Menoptra jumped to his feet, facing the rest of the swarm.

"Come on!" the human woman insisted, snatching his hand and pulling him away.

They ran straight into a half dozen more Zarbi; they seemed to be crawling from the between the crevices of the canyons.

Barbara backed up, her mind racing as the whining creatures approached her and Hrostar, their pincers clicked menacingly. Her back touched cool rock, her hand brushing against a draft of air.

She glanced over her shoulder to see an opening in the rock face. She turned and grabbed Hrostar's hand again, pulling him through the opening, and they both disaperaed into the cave.

The Zarbi and larvae grubs held back; somehow, they were unable to follow.

()()()

Vicki slowly opened her eyes; she was standing in the middle of the room made of flesh-colored vines with something heavy around her neck. She glanced down to see there was a gold collar resting across her shoulders.  
However, she didn't feel any indication of the intense dizziness or lethargy she had experienced the last time she'd been wearing the device.

What had happened?

Out of the corner of her eye, Vicki saw the Doctor was standing beside her. He was stiff as a board, and his eyes were closed, a clear indicator he was under his own collar's control.

Beyond him, Terna was still crumpled lifeless on the stone floor, and the Zarbi guards were all gathered around an opening in the knot of tendrils, watching strange lights flash across a plateau in the distance.

Seeing they weren't being watched, Vicki slowly took off her collar and then used the edge to pry the other one off the Doctor after which she slipped the non-functioning collar around her throat again.

The Doctor's eyes snapped open. "What-!"

"Shh!" the young girl hissed.

The Doctor looked at her; his eyes widened in surprise.  
"My dear, you're still wearing it."

Vicki grinned. "It's all right. I took a chance and put it on. You've done it. It doesn't work anymore."

The Doctor smirked. "Really? Well, was there ever any doubt? Now, we must capitalize on your action. The Zarbi are swarming Terna; we need to get her away from them. Now we know the necklace no longer works on us, perhaps the force-field is being reversed. I wonder." He absentmindedly fingered the blue stone on his right hand. "If that is so, I can control that necklace with the power of my ring."

Vicki eyed the stone curiously. "What power does it hold?"

Before the Doctor could respond, a Zarbi walked past them, causing them both to freeze.  
When the coast was clear again, the Time Lord took the non-functioning collar from Vicki and put it on himself.

"Now, this is what I want you to do, child." He then whispered to Vicki his plan. "Understand?"

She nodded in response before they both stood still again.  
After a moment, Vicki swayed forward attracting the attention of the Zarbi.

"Oh, what's happened? Where am I?" she moaned loudly.

One of the Zarbi spotted the second collar on the floor, and bent down to it. When he was distracted, the Doctor put his own collar around its neck, then pointed his ring at it, moving it to the side.

The Zarbi instantly followed the ring and then backwards when the Doctor moved his hand the other way. The giant ant chased the Doctor's ring across the room like a cat chasing a laser pointer.

The Time Lord chuckled. "Splendid. Splendid."

Vicki grinned. "Doctor, you've done it. How marvelous! What next?"

"Go see to Terna, my dear."

Vicki nodded, hurrying over to her; stooping down, she moved to touch her shoulder but quickly jerked her hand back with a cry as though she'd been burned.  
"Doctor, her body is burning!"

"The force in her mind is attempting to absorb her essence," the Doctor surmised, leading the controlled Zarbi over to them, "We must get her away from this place as quickly as possible. Come. Help me to get her onto the Zarbi's back."

With some effort, the Doctor and Vicki were eventually able to lift Terna onto the controlled Zarbi's back and drape her over it like a pack mule.

"Right. Is she stable?" the former adjusted his ring before turning to the door. "Good. I think we shall get our friend to take us out of here. Go outside. Keep your eyes open."

Vicki hurried over to the exit and peered out into the hall. "All clear."

The Doctor nodded before slowly leading his tame Zarbi out of the room, careful to make sure Terna didn't slide off as they went.

The odd group moved along the twisting corridors of the strange structure, eyes and ears perked for any signs of the other Zarbi guards, but they encountered nothing.

"I thought we'd have seen more of these creatures, Doctor," Vicki remarked.

"Yes, it appears they all have gone to the plateau."

"Well, there's one good thing. At least that spearhead will make it easier for us to get out here."

"Now, don't count your chickens, child," the Doctor chided, "There's quite a lot ahead of us. Now go on, cautiously. Keep an eye on Terna, make sure she doesn't fall off that thing."

()()()

The cave Barbara had unintentionally lead Hrostar into turned out to be a massive chamber with smooth, white stone walls covered in gold painted carvings and an open ceiling positioned over a cluster of stars whose light cascaded down into the space. In the center of the room where massive statues made of milky crystal which twisted into humanoid shapes that sported gigantic wings.

Barbara was in awe. "It's beautiful, Hrostar. Oh, it's absolutely beautiful!"

"It must be a Temple of Light," the Menoptra mused, "The ancient song-spinners of our race sang of their beauty, but I thought they could never be found again."

"There are others?"

Hrostar shrugged. "So the legends say. Sewn into the craters and plateaus of Vortis, been slowly un-woven by the silence of time and their entrances long forgotten by our species. But our gods have not forgotten us, Barbara." He clapped her on the shoulder, smiling for the first time since she'd met him.  
"This was indeed deliverance."

Barbara returned his smile before glancing towards the shadowed entrance to the Temple. "There's no sound. The Zarbi may gone. We may be free to leave-."

"No, not yet," Hrostar urged as she started forward. "They will leave guards."

"All is not lost!"

Barbara's eyes widened in shock as three more Menoptra suddenly sprinted into the Temple. She recognized Prapillus and Hlynia almost instantly while the third, she soon realized, was the spearhead leader Hilio.

Hrostar was aghast. "Prapillus! Hlynia! How?" he exclaimed as he rushed forward to embrace the latter.

"There was a tunnel on the lower ledge where you left me," the young Menoptra explained. "That's where I found Prapillus and Hilio. What happened on the plateau?"

Hrostar hung his head. "The spearhead has failed."

"No! The spearhead must succeed," Hilio insisted, "Which is the way back to the plateau? I will recall my force."

He turned to leave, but Prapillus grabbed his arm. "No, Hilio."

"What force?" Barbara inquired of the spearhead leader. "From what I saw of the battle, your forces were completely wiped out."

Hilio regarded her with a look of disgust. "Who is this creature?"

"Our ally," Prapillus explained.

Hilio snorted. "I do not trust her."

Barbara glared at him. "You have no choice."

"Hrostar, Prapillus, what shall we do?" Hlynia asked quietly.

Hilio closed his eyes, shaking his head vigorously. "Is it true?" Are they all dead?"

Prapillus nodded gravely. "Dead or prisoners by now."

"Then our main force cannot know where to land. They too will be massacred," Hilio wailed, "The Menoptra will be no more!"

With a cry, the former leader dropped to his knees in the middle of the Temple, burying his face in his hands.

"Hilio, the Menoptra have no wisdom for war," Prapillus reminded him.  
The aged Menoptra then genuflected beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Before the Animus came, the flower forest covered the planet in a cocoon of peace. Our ancestors carved temples like this for resting places of our dead, but that was all the work we did. There were no other plans to make. Light was our god and we existed in Light, flying above thought."  
He shook his head in dismay, a deep sadness in his old eyes, "Our banishment has taught us of enemies and weapons, and my captivity has taught me strategy. They tore my wings from me and I felt, as you feel, that all was lost. But if our gods favor our survival, we must learn their lessons and use our minds, not our wings." He gestured to Barbara, "This Earth woman we must trust, for she can show us how to exist without wings, to survive and flourish. Now, what shall we do?"

Hilio slowly raised his head from his hands and looked at Barbara with an expression that almost reflected respect. "Yes. What?"

The human woman was momentarily taken aback, "Well, what would have happened if the spearhead had been successful?"

"Had we met with no resistance, we were to proceed to the Center of the Web and destroy the Animus," Hrostar explained.

"How?"

"With this." Hilio reached into a pouch he wore at his hip and pulled out a device the size of a paperweight. It was mostly white and glowed with an electric blue aura. "Our wise men designed it for use against the intelligence."

"What is it?" Prapillus asked.

"A living cell destructor," Hilio explained, "The Web, and the living thing behind it, grows and spreads its evil around Vortis. This destructor would have reversed the process, made the cells grow inwards and die."

Hlynia appeared skeptical. "The electron guns failed to work against the Zarbi. Would this have failed too?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Barbara declared.

Prapillus raised an eyebrow, realizing what she was implying. "Attack the Animus. Can we reach it?"

Hilio shook his head. "It cannot work now. We are too few."

"The only alternative is to stay here," Barbara declared. "Perhaps for years."

"Both ways may mean our death," Hrostar added, "But hope lies in action."

"Then it's decided," Prapillus announced. "We attack."

()()()

Ian rubbed his wrists; having been freed from the cement-like substance, he attempted to regain feeling in his hands.

Vrestin reached out and squeezed his fingers, making it look like she was helping him as she leaned in and whispered: "The Optera have promised to help. Ian, can we trust them?"

"We have no choice."

"They have strength down here. Their fears of the surface may grow too strong."

"It's better than being thrown into the fire."

Hetra made a grunting noise, redirecting their attention. The old Optera was gesturing to a dark tunnel system full of blackened, foul smelling air."  
"These tunnels breathe hate, and in the Center grows the root of evil: Poidarac!"

Ian raised an eyebrow. "Root?"

"The Animus," Vrestin breathed.

Ian regarded Hetra. "Take us there."

"Nemini will lead," the Optera leader declared.

"Keep close to me," Nemini giggled as she shuffled past Ian and Vrestin and ducked down into the tunnel.

Hetra followed after her. "Come."

()()()

The Doctor, Vicki, the unconscious Terna, and their tame Zarbi eventually made it out of the large structure.

Vicki ran ahead while the Doctor lingered beside the large aunt in order to maintain control and make sure Terna didn't slip off its back.

"Doctor, how are we going to find the Menoptra?" the young girl called to him over his shoulder. "They could be anywhere on this planet."

"The Zarbi left here to go to the spearhead, with luck we can follow their tracks."

"Yes, look." Vicki pointed to the distinct impressions lingering in the grey soil.

The Doctor nodded. "Let's get moving."

It was a long walk to the plateau; if the distant flashing lights of the battle from earlier were any indication.  
Despite both of them having consumed oxygen enhancing tablets, the walk was still grueling. The ground was loose and uneven, the stone hard under their feet.

"Oh, must have a rest, child," the Doctor called to Vicki, slightly breathless as he stopped beside a divit in the ground that made a kind of natural seat.

Vicki came over to help him slide Terna off the Zarbi's back. As the Doctor got her settled on a flat rock, the young girl petted the head of their now tame gigantic ant.

The Doctor brushed a few strands of Terna's golden blonde hair off her face as he folded her blue cape around her body like a blanket. She was still trembling with fever, but it appeared to have lessened somewhat, which was reassuring.  
The Lyall's eyes were still closed, which left the Doctor wondering if they were still white beneath the closed lids or if any of the blue life had returned to them. He shivered at the thought, instead choosing to ponder (rather absurdly) that Terna's prone image, lying unmoving on the slab, conveyed something akin to a blonde-haired Snow White.

"You know, Doctor, I'm getting quite fond of Zombo."

The Doctor blinked. "What?"

Vicki giggled, pointing at their Zarbi. "Zombo, it's his name. I gave it to him."

"Oh, yes, I see, I see," the Doctor replied distractedly as he reached out and felt Terna's forehead. "Oh, dear, dear, dear, she's still terribly hot. I do wish we had some water to give her."

"I thought you said that she'd be well again one she was free of that thing's control."

"Well, I suppose we must be lead to believe that creature, whatever it is, has a great amount of influence across the whole scope of the planet. It may be a while yet before we are completely free of it."

Vicki shivered. "That's a comforting thought."

"Pay it no mind," the Doctor urged before looking back at Terna. Her motionless form was unnerving to say the least.  
"Oh, it's awful to see her like this. Come. Come, let's get her back on this thing. Best to keep moving."

The tame Zarbi twittered as Vicki helped the Doctor lift Terna back onto his back.

"He's quite cute, isn't he? When he's like this?"

The Doctor looked at the swollen-eyed insect with its snapping pincers.  
"Well, I haven't noticed it before, my dear, but since you mention it: no I don't think so."

Vicki playfully knocked him in the shoulder. "I've told you before not to judge by appearances."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Oh, I'll buy you a collar for him at the next stop. But just you remember, child, if we lose him, there's about two hundred or more ahead of us, just like that. Now, come along. Come along."

()()()

The tunnels the Optera were leading Ian and Vrestin down were cramped and narrow, with bearly enough space for Ian to stand up properly. Hetra and Nemini shuffled along ahead of them while their two followers stumbled blindly through the darkness.

Clouds of foul-smelling smoke wafted through the cracks in the walls and ceiling, making Ian's eyes water and his throat itch.

After a time, the two Optera paused as the passage was blocked by stalagmites.

"Break the teeth of stone," Hetra hissed, and he and Nemini started shattering the spiked stone with their crystalline spears.

Ian coughed. "Oh, the air's terrible."

Vrestin nodded, covering her mouth. "Yes, they are more used to it than we are, Ian."

"The tunnel breathes vapor," Nemini called over her shoulder as they broke through the last of the stone, and she started forward.

"Not here. There," Hetra redirected her, and they all moved down another tunnel, this one steadily sloping downward with each step they took.

It was pitch black, and Ian stumbled several times in just the first few feet.

"The wall is not friendly," he heard Nemini whisper to Hetra, "We must break it."

"What's wrong?"

"A silent wall," Hetra explained as though it were obvious, "We must make mouths in it with our weapons. Then it'll speak more light."

"Dig, you mean?" Ian felt the wall beside them. "Will it stand it?"

Nemini giggled. "Ha! We try."

As the Optera started chiseling at the stone with their spears, Ian suddenly heard Vrestin call to him from behind him, having unknowingly lingered behind.

"Coming!" He raced back up the passage to find Vrestin wedged between the narrow stone walls, her wings rather cumbersome in the cramped space.

Ian grasped hold of some rocks to help pry Vrestin out from between them. He felt them loosen in his hold, and they both had to move quickly out of the way once the female Menoptra was free before they came tumbling down. Once the dust cleared, it was evident their way back was thoroughly blocked.

"Now we have to go on," Ian declared, taking her hand and leading her back to the Optera.

"Nemini, make mouth of light," Hetra commanded.

Vrestin gasped, clutching her throat. "Ian, I cannot breathe."

"I know. The fall."

Vrestin shook her head, her big eyes watering. "Breathe!"

Ian panicked slightly, whirling on Hetra. "Let in more gas!"

"Breathe!"

"Dig!" Ian cried.

Hetra grunted. "Dig?"

"Dig!"

The two Optera slammed their spears into the stone, slicing away at it vigorously while Vrestin continued to choke and beg desperately for air.

()()()

It had been some time. Barbara and the four Menoptra stood crouched around a map of the Carsionme they'd drawn in the sand.

"The best idea is still that we create a mock attack here in the south in order to draw off the Zarbi," the human woman declared, "Then whilst this is happening, one of us tries to get in the Center from the north."

Hilio shook his head. "It will fail. Even if it drew most of the Zarbi, it would require just one larvae gun to stop the real attack."

"Then what is your idea?" Barbara asked him, slightly exasperated.

"I could fly over the Carsinome and try and cut my way in from above."

"No, the Carsinome is strong and vigorous," Prapillus asserted. "It would heal itself before you could cut your way through."

"Then we're left with the mock attack," Barbara declared. "It isn't perfect, I know, but it's all we have."

Hilio sighed. "Very well, I will go in alone from the north."

Hrostar grabbed his arm. "No, I will go."

Hilio opened his mouth to protest, but Hlynia shushed him.  
"Quiet! There's someone outside."

They all jumped up as the sounds of approaching footsteps reached their ears.

"Barricade the doors!" Barbara cried.

"Too late!" Hrostar exclaimed.

"Hide!" Hilio urged.

"If it's Zarbi, the doors will not open," Prapillus assured them.

However, a Zarbi did enter the Temple. It staggered along with a humanoid draped across its back.

Barbara's eyes widened at the distinct blue and gold figure.  
"Terna?"

"No! Do not attack him." The Doctor rushed into the room after the Zarbi, followed by Vicki. "He's quite harmless."

"Doctor! Vicki!" Barbara cried, her heart leaping in her chest as she rushed over to hug them.

The Doctor grinned at her. "My dear Barbara. Where is Chesterton, hmm?"

()()()

Ian was attempting to console Vrestin, who was still breathing heavily despite the now steady flow of oxygen from the holes the Optera had made. "Better? It's clearing."

Vrestin nodded as Nemini scuttled over to them.  
"The vapor sleeps at our feet. Move slowly."

Before either of them could respond, a thunderous gurgling was heard churning from above their heads.

Hetra felt the wall. "Nemini! Soon the mouth will appear. The walls are thin."

"The liquid hate from above!" the female Optera shrieked as she hurried over to the holes in the wall.

"The acid pools. Get away!" Ian cried, rushing towards her, but Hetra stepped in his way.

"No, no! She must block the mouth or we will die."

Ian looked on helplessly as Nemini pressed her body against the hole. She screamed and it mixed with the steam that churned through the air, carrying the odor of her body burning from the flow of acid.  
Mere seconds later, she slumped forward and fell silent.

Hetra hung his head. "Poidarac is danger that is always with us. Come. Try down there."  
He then hopped along another passage. Vrestin broke away from Ian and moved to follow him.

The human man cast one last glance at Nemini's body before following.

()()()

"Barbara, here help me get her off this thing." The Doctor lead her over to the Zarbi, which Terna was draped over. "That's it. Easy."

"What happened to her?"

The Doctor didn't respond right away as he and Barbara gently lifted Terna off the tame Zarbi and laid her on the Temple floor. Almost instantly, she snapped awake with a gasp.

"Terna, are you alright?" Barbara asked as the Lyall slowly sat up and looked around in confusion.

"What…? What happened? Where are we? What's going…" She faltered, gripping her head.

"Easy now," The Doctor urged, placing a hand on her shoulder, "It's alright. The Creature can't hurt you here."

Terna then looked up and saw what looked like four bipedal butterflies all huddled around her curiously.  
"Oh great. More giant bugs."

The eldest of these creatures stepped forward. "You. Yellow one. You bear eyes of Light."

"What do you mean?" Vicki asked Prapillus.

"Light is our god," Hlynia explained, "We witnessed it in the heavens. Beautiful and…" She trailed off as she reached out to touch Terna's eye. "Blue."

The Doctor crossed his arms. "You saw Terna's people as gods, hmm? I thought you said you had no jurisdiction on this planet." He added to the Lyall.

She shook her head. "We didn't. How did you come to witness such a thing?" she asked the Menoptra.

"In our dreams," Hrostar replied, "In the corners of our eyes, in the shadows of our wings. We saw them. Light on the water."

"So it was only in the abstract," the Doctor surmised.

"Oh, I think I get it," Terna declared, getting to her feet, "This planet seems to have quite an intense telepathic field, if the Animus's power is any indication. Perhaps they were picking up traces of Lyall power from distant worlds."

The Doctor nodded. "I suppose. It's a possibility."

"Our gods of Light remained quiet for many a century as the darkness stretched over Vortis, grasping it in a choke hold that stifled almost all life," Prapillus explained.

"We were forced to flee, but hope has come again in the Light," Hilio added.

"It has granted our scientists the ability to fashion a device that could counteract the Animus's affects and destroy it completely," Hrostar concluded.

Terna's eyes lit up in surprise. "A Lyall told you how to do this?"

"May I see the device?" the Doctor asked.

Prapilius handed it to him.

The Doctor fingered the Isop-tope. His brow furrowed in curiosity. "Well, this is certainly an unusual device. Yes, it's interesting."

"Will it work, Doctor?" Barbara inquired.

"Oh, I don't see why not, my dear. What is in the Center of the web, hmm? Do you know?" he asked Hilio as he handed the device back to him.

"No."

"No one knows," Prapillus added. "We suspect it is a creature from the darkness of space enclosed inside a cocoon."

"But, if it arrived here from another planet, surely someone must have seen it?" Barbara remarked.

"Our legends of it only begin when it was already assimilating itself into the crannies of Vortis and the minds of the Zarbi, spreading its Web."

"Where does it draw its power from, hmm?" the Doctor inquired.

"We believe there is power in the magnetic pole of the planet. That is where the Web has its Center."

"Yes, I see. I see."

"You mean it draws and uses the power from the planet Vortis itself?" Terna chimed in.

"Well, the combination of the magnetic poles and psychic field would create a potent mixture," the Doctor replied.

Prapillius nodded. "Yes, Doctor, that theory would explain the new moons that have appeared in the sky. They too are drawn here by this power."

"Yes," the Time Lord tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder why I didn't realize that before. The same force drew and held the TARDIS here. Yes, of course, it's remarkable, most interesting."

"Doctor, we have a plan to destroy the Animus." Barbara piped up, "Will you help us?"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Plan?"

Barbara nodded as she led him to the map etched into the ground.

The Doctor bent down to inspect the crude drawing more closely. "Yes, my dear, yes. Yes, but with a slight difference."

"How different?" Hrostar questioned.

"I think we'll go ahead with the mock attack as planned, that will be your responsibility, my dear," the Doctor said to Barbara, "A time we shall agree to."

Hilio held out the Isop-tope. "And this?"

"That, I shall take along with me. The girl and I will return to the Zarbi headquarters"

He held out his hand, but Hilio kept the Isop-tope out of the Doctor's reach.  
"Our wise men have put all their skill into this one Isop-tope. I cannot yield it to a stranger."

"Give it to me then," Terna offered.

The Doctor looked at her in surprise. "Terna-."

"Can you take the Isop-tope past the Zarbi guards in safety?" Hrostar inquired of the Lyall.

"You trust me, don't you? I have Light in my eyes."

"Hilio, you have to agree to this," Barbara insisted.

"They are the first to ever to leave the Carsinome," Prapillus added. "We must trust the Doctor and this woman of Light."

Hilio hesitated for a moment longer before he finally handed over the Isop-tope to Terna who then passed it to the Doctor.

"Thank you. I have great admiration for your wise men and their judgement. Now, my dear, is everything quite clear, hmm?" the Time Lord added to Barbara.

"Yes, Doctor. You will return to headquarters. Once you're safely there, we start the attack to draw out the Zarbi while you make for the Center."

"Precisely. Come, child." The Doctor gestured to Vicki.

The young girl grimaced. "Doctor, do we have to?"

"Oh, now, now, now, cheer up, cheer up," he assured her, throwing an arm around her shoulders. I don't particularly want to go back there myself."

"It's all right. I suppose we do have the best chance. Anyway, the TARDIS is still there."

Prapillus stepped forward. "Doctor?"

"Yes, what is it?"

The elderly Menoptra pointed at the tame Zarbi. "I wondered if we could borrow this creature? I think he would be very useful in our attack."

"Oh, you think so, do you?"

"I have made a study of the Zarbi. I think I could make use of him."

The Doctor snorted. "You do? Better than I?"

Prapillus clasped his hands. "Please, I have no wish to offend, but you don't know the Zarbi as I do."

The Doctor eyed him pointedly. "To control him, you will have to use my ring. And that is of untold value."

"And what of the value of our Isop-tope?"

"He does have a point, Doctor," Barbara chimed in.

The Doctor hung his head. With a groan, he reluctantly handed over his ring to Prapillus.  
"Here, take it!"

The Menoptra fingered the device curiously. "May I know its secret?"

The Doctor folded his arms. "You may not. Use it and return it."

Prapillus bowed his head. "Forgive me."

"On your life, return it."

"Of course."

Terna tapped the Doctor's shoulder. "Well, are we going?"

He turned to her. "Vicki and I are. You are to remain here."

"But Doctor-."

"Now hush, and try to see sense. We nearly lost you the first time we entered that horrid place. I'm not inclined to risk you again. Stay here where you'll be safe."

Terna's face flushed, and she averted her eyes. "Fine."

()()()

Ian, Vrestin, and Hetra had been crawling across a stretch of the tunnel that was about the size of a sewage pipe. They'd gone several yards; Ian's back ached and his palms and knees were raw from the stone.

In front of him, Hetra suddenly stopped.  
"Poidarac is above us now."

"Ian? What should we do?" Vrestin asked from behind him.

"We go up."

()()()

After another long trek across Vortis, the Doctor and Vicki returned to the structure the Menoptra called the Carsinome. It was no less menacing than when they'd left it a few hours earlier and actually seemed to have grown bigger since then.

The Doctor paused at the entrance, fishing the Isop-tope out of his coat pocket. "I think you'd better take this, my child." He handed the device to her, "It'll probably be less conspicuous with you. Come on."

The silently made their way along the strangely deserted corridors, the tendril walls oozing and slithering menacingly as they went.

Eventually, they made it to the room where they'd left the TARDIS and froze on the doorstep. At least half a dozen Zarbi were huddled on the ground surrounding the time machine.

However, none of them gave any indication of noticing their approach, so the Doctor took the initiative and stepped into the room.

Instnatly, the alarm blared, and the Zarbi jumped to life.

"Oh, Doctor!" Vicki cried, leaping into his arms in fright.

"Don't worry, child," the Doctor held her close and tried to reassure her Zarbi advanced on them, "Don't worry."

()()()

Barbara stood on the precipice overlooking the valley where the Carsinome was. It was the first time she'd laid eyes on the infamous structure, and its image sent a shiver down her spine as she stared down at that massive, crawling, pulsating, _living_ thing.

"Barbara, ready for you to give the word," Prapillus said to her, jerking the human woman from her thoughts.

"The Doctor will have reached the control section by now," Barbara declared. "We should send in the Zarbi."

()()()

Terna sat dejectedly on a stone bench in the middle of the Temple of Light, staring up at the massive crystal statues that dominated the space. She felt helpless, and she hated feeling helpless.

Not only was her pride being impeded by her having to sit out of the fight like some helpless child, but she was left with nothing but her maddening thoughts, and all they continued to do was circle 'round and 'round with her vibrant fears and worries for her friends.  
The Doctor, Barbara, and even Vicki were willingly going back into the heart of power for the most terrifying opponent any of them had ever faced. Worse than the Daleks. Not to mention Ian.  
Terna hadn't seen him in what felt like forever.

The Lyall Queen drummed her fingers against her thighs in agitation as she stared around the silent Temple. Worry for her friends aside, she was also filled with a burning need to find out what happened to the Lyall that had once been on this planet. She knew for certain that one had lived here, that it's presence had led to the Menoptra worshiping the light of its Anima.  
The question that remained however was if the creature that lived in the Carsinome, the one the Menoptra called the Animus, if it was the Lyall that had been driven insane with pain and loneliness or if it was something else.

Terna hoped for the latter, but she still had her doubts.

Not to mention that the creature they were fighting called itself _Animu_s.  
Animus…like Animalus. The Lyca word for soul and what Terna was Queen of.

Animalus Reginum…The Crownless Queen.

_Did you really think you could escape me, little girl?_

Terna's insides constricted as a sickeningly familiar voice filled the Temple.

"No!" She sprang to her feet, "You-You can't be here."

_I'm everywhere you are now._

A high-pitched whining surrounded Terna as a blinding pain exploded in her mind, driving all her senses from her.  
She screamed, fisting her fingers through her disheveled. "Get-Get out of my head!"

_Come._

The voice was cold but still unmistakably alluring…

"No!"

_Come to me. We are one now._

Terna squeezed her eyes shut, sweat beading on her forehead as her whole from trembled with exertion, but her resistance was weak as her body was weak with fatigue. It didn't take much pressure to be applied before it snapped and the flood gates were opened.

Terna's mind fluttered down into the darkness like a feather drifting down into a dark pit.

Her eyes fell shut, and when they reopened all sense of the Lyall Queen had left the blue irises and only the Animus remained.

Stiffly, the Lyall's body walked out of the Temple of Light and across the Vortis plain towards the Carsinome.

()()()

The Doctor and Vick were shoved into the middle of the room by the swarm of Zarbi, the young girl still clinging to her Time Lord guardian as they are forced to their knees.

Across the room, a fleshy tendril broke free of the rest and sprayed a slimy webbing over both their bodies. It was so cold it burned.

Both of them screamed in pain as the substance hardened, and then they fell silent.

The Doctor couldn't see there was webbing on his eyes; he couldn't move, and his whole body shook from the pain and the cold.

However, all that became insignificant when he heard that cold voice that made his stomach turn a somersault.

"You attempted escape?"

"You," the Doctor gasped, choking through the webbing, "But-."

"You were foolish to try and flee."

Terna stepped into view, but there was no relief in the Doctor's mind when he saw that her eyes were clouded with the Animus's will.

"W-We have merely been on a slight exploration," the Time Lord fought to keep his voice even.

"You have been brought back to us."

"Brought back? We came of our own free will," the Doctor insisted, struggling against the webbing encasing his body, "We are not to be subjected like the Zarbi or terrorized like the Menoptra! We are-."

The Animus held up Terna's hand to silence him. It tilted her head to the side, making her smile.  
"You are of no further use except for the way you think. I need your intelligence. You will be brought to the Center, to us!"

The Zarbi approached them, biting them free of the frigid webbing with their pincers.

Vicki recoiled once free, scrambling over towards the astral map in a blind panic. However, the Zarbi rounded her up and hauled her back over to the Doctor.

"What do they want now?" she whimpered.

The Doctor cast an unnerved glance at the Animus wearing Terna's face as it strode from the room. The Zarbi nudged them forward.  
"Oh, w-we shall be taken to the Center, child. T-Try not to be afraid."

They were escorted into the hall. The tendrils slapped their fleshy bodies together, winding around and under each other as though eagerly awaiting their destruction.

The Doctor tried to ignore it as he leaned closer to Vicki.  
"You better let me have the web destructor back again, child. We may not get another chance."

Vicki froze. "Doctor, I haven't got it."

The Doctor's hearts skipped a beat. "Oh yes, I gave it to you. Come along, my child, come along, come along."

Vicki shook her head, her expression helpless. "It's just that I haven't got it now."

"Well where is it, child?"

"It's in the astral map, I hid it there."

The Doctor let a hopeless sigh escape his lips as he glanced at the Animus striding ahead of them in Terna's body. The Zarbi shoved them along, and the Carsinome grew louder.

()()()

Barbara and the Menoptra had taken up their posessions at the entrance to the Carsionome along with the tame Zarbi.

"A Zarbi is coming," Prapillus whispered to the others, "Are we ready?"

They nodded as the large ant came barreling out of the entrance.

The tame Zarbi rears up, clicking its legs menacingly, and the two large insects clash with one another.

"Prapillus, it will throw the necklet off," Hrostar cried as they continued to struggle.

"Barbara, now!" the elderly Menoptra shouted to her.

The human woman jumped out of hiding, drawing the still loyal Zarbi's attention.  
It veered toward her, but the Menoptra ran in the other direction and shouted at it.

"Zarbi!"

"Zarbi!"

"Zarbi!"

"Zarbi!"

Hlynia's cry seemed to confuse the Zarbi due to her high-pitched voice seems to confuse it. She lured it into the Carsinome but came back outside alone.  
"It will return with reinforcements."

"Well, that was the idea, wasn't it?" Barbara reminded her.

"We must move into the corridors to make it more difficult for the Zarbi," Prapillus declared. "They won't scatter us so easily."

"I will take the first larvae gun," Hrostar declared.

()()()

Ian's back ached; he felt like he'd been crawling through the tunnel for days. Ahead of him, Hetra suddenly stopped, and he soon saw why: they had reached a wall with roots growing down it.

Ahead of them, there was a slight dip, which widened the passage and made them able to stand before the vines.

Hetra jumped down, grunting as his stubby legs impeded him. Ian climbed down next, and then turned to help Vrestin.

He turned his attention back to the strange skin-colored vines as they almost seemed to pulse. Their surfaces were shiny, slick and wet.

"Look out!" He pulled Vrestin back as she started towards them, "The acid again."

"No, Ian. It is water."

"Water?" Ian stared in surprise as the female Menoptra reached out and gently touched the liquid coating the vines. When it didn't harm her, he did the same and found it cold and harmless.

Hetra nodded. "Poidarac sucks goodness from our world."

"The water sank below the surface when the Animus choked the soil," Vrestin explained.

Ian smiled reassuringly. "Well it's still there, Vrestin. All you have to do is bring it to the surface. You can grow your plants again."

Hetra nudged them. "If we go up, we'll meet the blinding heart of Poidarac. I have fear. Optera, stay."

Vrestin nudged him back. "Listen, Optera. Poidarac is evil. The Menoptra are stronger than evil. The world above is good."

Hetra grunted again, staggering backward and shaking his head vigorously.

Vrestin glared at him angrily. Ian placed a hand on her shoulder. "Vrestin, if this is a root, we can't lose our way. Why not leave him here?"

"No. They are descendants of my race," Vrestin insisted. "They can live in light. Come."

She held out her hand; Hetra regarded it like it might bite him, but after a moment he surprisingly took it.

Ian smiled at the gesture. "Good. Let's get climbing."

()()()

The Menoptra and their human ally made their way down the entrance corridor of the Carsinome. Barbara had never seen anything so disgusting in her life. The walls were made of skin.

After a moment, Prapillus, who was at the head of the group, paused before a fork in the road.  
"Hrostar?"

The other Menoptra nodded, moving to stand next to the tame Zarbi. "Yes, I'm ready."

"What is it?" Barbara asked.

"The Zarbi will have Larvae Guns," Prapillus explained.

"This is the only way we can stop them," Hilio added.

"If it works," Hlynia whispered.

"Get back, Barbara!" Prapillus yelled as Zarbi appeared around the corner.  
In a flash, Hrostar removed the collar from the tame Zarbi and waited for the larvae gun to come closer.  
The grub slithered over to them as the now free Zarbi spun in confused circles. Hrostar dove forward and put the collar around the gun.  
The grub swiveled its body as the gold touched its shell, firing at the last possible second.  
Hrostar cried out, grabbing his chest as he fell forward and landed on top of the larvae gun, squashing it.

He didn't get up.

"Hrostar!" Hlynia screamed as she started forward, but Prapillus pulled her back.

She yelled furiously, pushing against him as she large tears poured from her eyes.  
"He will lie at rest in the Temples of Light," the older Menoptra soothed. "Do not cry, Hlynia, there is work to do. Come."

The female Menoptra sobbed loudly as she buried her face in his chest.

His expression unreadable, Hilio bent down and picked up the collar from beside the dead larvae.  
"The next gun is mine. Follow."

()()()

The walls seemed to whisper, growing narrower with every step the Doctor took. Beside him, Vicki trembled as the Zarbi flanked them. Terna's possessed form walked ahead of them in slow, purposeful strides.

With a cry of panic, Vicki suddenly broke away from the Zarbi in a blind attempt to escape. It quickly failed and she was shoved back into line.

The young girl wailed, burying her face in her hands.

"Easy, child. Easy," the Doctor attempted to comfort her, rubbing her shoulder. "We mustn't panic."

"We sense her fear," the Animus declared ahead of them.

The Doctor glowered, reaching forward and snatching Terna's arm.  
The Animus stopped her body, but didn't turn around.  
"Terna. Terna, listen to me. I know you're still in there, and I know you're still fighting. Take back control, fight the Animus and win. You must."

The Animus then turned to face him. It made Terna smile in a way that seemed so genuine it almost made the Doctor think she was in control.  
The Animus then opened her mouth, and the Doctor's insides twisted when Terna's voice came out.

"But Doctor, Terna is gone. We are the Animus now."

()()()

Vicki couldn't remember a time when she'd been more afraid. She wanted to scream and run and she wanted to fall to her knees and sob at the same time, but knew she could do neither as the Zarbi pushed her along that endless march.  
The walls breathed, they laughed in deep throaty chuckles. She knew they could smell her fear, lingering on her sweaty skin.  
Vicki closed her eyes, trying to shut out the whispers and silently begged.  
She wanted the Doctor to come save her.  
She wanted Ian to come save her.  
She wanted her father to come save her.

But she knew that none of those things would happen. The Doctor was as helpless as she was, her father was dead, and Ian probably was too.

The Zarbi stopped so suddenly, Vicki almost ran into them.

When Vicki reopened her eyes, she felt a surge of energy come crashing down upon her in way that felt like hundreds of gallons of freezing water had just been dumped on her head.  
She gasped as the air was sucked from her lungs.  
The tendrils moved aside, and revealed the end of the hall.

The Center of the Carsinome.

A blinding light instantly assaulted her eyes. Vicki recoiled with a cry as cornea burned and she recoiled, shielding her face.

"Oh, can you see it, Doctor? Can you see it?"

"This infernal light is too bright for my eyes."

"What Vortis is, we are," the Animus spoke. Vicki heard it through Terna's mouth but there was second voice layered beneath it, speaking the same words. It echoed around them, from the walls, the floor, the ceiling, from within Vicki herself.  
She felt the Animus; she _was _the Animus.

"What you are, we will become."

Vicki couldn't breath, she couldn't feel. Delirious with fear, she reached to her side, feeling for the Doctor's hand, but her fingers brushed only air.

"Doctor! Doctor! Leave us alone, you parasite!"

Vicki shouted into the darkness.

"Parasite? A power, absorbing territory, riches, energy. culture! You come to us."

Vicki felt a finger brush her face, and her heart momentarily leapt when she thought it was the Doctor. She opened her eyes the barest amount, and her heart clenched in burning fear as she came face to face with a gigantic skin tendril.

It wriggled in front of her like a snake, swaying from side to side in a hypnotic, almost inticing manner.  
Vicki licked her lips, her mouth dry as a something pulled in the pit of her stomach, and she wanted to move forward.

But to what?

Vicki looked beyond the tendril, along the ground of its massive, bloated body to the heart of the Center and all of that planted desire evaporated.

Bile rose in Vicki's throat as she beheld the Animus in full.

The walls curved around this central point, every single one of the individual tentacles had knotted toegether into one great writhing mass. Slime trickled thickly down the bulbous knot that churned like a great mass of intestines, the bodies slick and putrid in odor.

Rising out of the center of the mass like an ugly rose out of a mess of thorns was the head of the abomination. It was a swollen tumor that was wrinkled like an old sack, a ball of human flesh full of teeth and hair and eyes.

Dozens of skewed blue eyes that flickered every which way like each one was following its own mind, its own body.

The mass surged and the tentacles waved through the air.  
The eyes moved as one, all of them turning on Vicki.

The girl cowered before the Animus. Her insides heaving.  
"You filthy, great spider!" she managed to spit out. "You won't get us because we won't move!"

"Do not fight against us," the everywhere voice spoke again, "Approach, approach, both of you."

The beckoning came again, at the edges of Vicki's mind.

Beside her, the Doctor started forward, his own tendril urging him along.

Vicki tried to call out to him, but her own tentacle wrapped her throat, pushing down her words.

The Doctor walked slowly forward, entranced and alone.  
Vicki watched him, gagged at the throat as she silently begged him to look up into the many eyed carcass rumbling at the head of the nest, but he only saw Terna standing at the base of heart.

She was standing with her billowing blue dress and cape, her eyes shining and her smile sugary as the tendrils wrapped layer after layer around her form.

Her blonde hair was glowing in the bright light, and she laughed. Terna's voice parroted the everywhere voice.

"Come. Come to us."

Vicki felt the tendril tug, but she dug in her heels and set her resolve.

_I mustn't move. I mustn't move._

()()()

Ian grasped the fleshy tendrils so hard his finger hurt. They were cold beneath his grasp, slimy and wet like the skin of a drowned man.  
He dangled in the lead of the group with Vrestin and Hetra scrambling upwards after him.  
All that was below him was darkness, all that was above him was darkness.

"There seems to be no end to it," Ian gripped another vine, and a part of the wall broke loose and fell. "Look out!"

He called down to Vrestin and Hetra, glancing over his shoulder to see they were both still clinging on.  
"All right?"

Vrestin nodded as Hetra wriggled around beneath her.

"The blinding dark is close now."

The female Menoptra shook her head, her large eyes weary. "Ian, I'm so tired."

"Just a little longer, Vrestin," he assured her. "Come on."

()()()

Barbara slipped along the corridor in the lead of the procession. The tendrils beside her seemed to become more agitated with each step she took, and it did nothing to dwell her nerves.

Her fingers brushed a doorway, and she paused. She motioned to the Menoptra to stop before peering around the entrance to see a large, wide room.  
Barbara's heart leapt when she spotted the familiar form of the TARDIS resting in the corner. However, there was a Zarbi guarding it.

She quickly pulled back her head before she was spotted and turned to the others.  
"Zarbi."

"How many?" inquired Hilio.

"I only saw one."

"With Larvae Guns?"

"No, I think he was alone."

Hilio started forward, but Prapillus grabbed his arm.  
"Do not let him give the alarm, Hilio."

The younger Menoptra nodded, gripping the collar tightly before slipping into the room. The Zarbi rushes him, causing him to dive out of the way.  
The ant swerves with surprising agility, pincers snapping as it lunges on top of Hilio. He cried out as the gigantic insect bore down on top of him, the collar flying from his hand and falling to the floor with a clatter.

Prapillus bolted into the room, snatched up the collar and managed to get it onto the Zarbi. He brandished the Doctor's ring, and the creature crawled off Hilio and stood docile in the middle of the room.  
"This seems to be the Zarbi nest. How does the Animus control them?"

"Look, there!" Hilio pointed over his shoulder.

The walls were glowing.

()()()

The Animus had the Doctor and Vicki entwined in its tendrils, strangling them in the vile flesh. Terna's body stood before the Center, the vines clinging to it, pulsating.

On the ground writhing in the vines, Vicki screamed and begged: "I can't, I can't struggle any more. Doctor, help me! There's no one. No chance, and it's all my fault."

The Animus laughed at her pitiful cries. "What we take from you will enable us to reach beyond this galaxy, into the solar system, to pluck from Earth its myriad techniques and take from man his mastery of space."

()()()

The tendrils moved, the webbing slithering under the skin as they turned towards Hilio and Prapillus.

"Look out!" Barbara rushed into the room with Hlynia close behind her.

The tendrils fired the ice webbing. Hilio shoved Prapillus out of the way, and they both fall to the ground just as the tendrils are set to fire again.

"Get back!" Hlynia brandished her spear and stabbed through the tendril. It stiffened, body convulsing as a white pulse exploded from the wound.

Prapillus sat up, horrified. "No, Hlynia! What have you done?"

()()()

There was so much noise. Terna was surrounded by hundreds of screaming voices.  
She was hundreds of screaming voices.

She was moving through the waves upon waves of misery and pain.

Her eyes stung, and her throat burned. She coulnd't move, she couldn't speak.  
She couldn't think.

She felet her body being slowly swallowed like a great snake was wrapping coil after coil around her body, squeezing until there was nothing left but dust.

A flare of pain in the corner of her eye brought her momentarily into clarity. She was no longer drowning.

_Zarbi control room wounded. The Menoptra have breached the perimeter!_

Terna couldn't feel or breath. She had no skin for touch and no lungs for air.

She was nothing but a thought drowning in her own mind.

"It hurts. Please, it hurts. Stop this. Vicki. Doctor!"

_Hush now. Back down in the dark. We are one of us now_.

()()()

The tendrils weren't moving. Each of them sagged one after another, unable to hold their shape as their skin lost its pallor and became sickeningly white.

Hilio cautiously poked one with the tip of his spear.

"This sector seems to be paralyzed," Prapillus remarked.

Barbara, meanwhile, had wandered over to a familiar object resting on the other end of the room.  
"This is the Doctor's astral map."

"Does it work?" the elderly Menoptra inquired.

"Yes, I think so."

"Can we speak to the invasion force with it?"

"Yes, if I can just find the right frequency. Where would you want it set?"

"To the planet Pictos, there." Prapillus pointed to a speck on the face of the map.

Barbara nodded before pushing a few buttons.  
"Now, try that."

Prapillus leaned forward and tentatively spoke into the mouth piece. "Vortis to main force. Vortis to main force. Warning, repeat, warning: Electron guns useless against the Zarbi. Isop Plateau heavily ambushed. Wait for instructions. Reply."

Only static responded.

Hilio sighed. "Either it hasn't heard, or it doesn't trust us."

"Or I didn't set it right," Barbara added. "I don't know, there's something wrong," she tapped the map. "This thing ought to light. Hang on." She bent down to try and find the source of the interference. Her eyes widened when she spied a familiar blue and white object tangled in the machine wires.  
"Prapillus, look," Barbara sprang up, grasping the object. "It's the Isop-tope. The Doctor and Vicki must have been captured."

"Then we must take it to the Center ourselves," Hilio declared.

Barbara glanced at the astral map. "But why would-."

"There's no time to lose," the young Menoptra insisted.

Prapillus put a reassuring hand on Barbara's shoulder. "Hilio will take care of the Doctor."

"Hurry!" the other male Menoptra called from the hall.

()()()

Ian grasped the soggy tendril with one hand, his feet dangling hazardously, as he felt at the soft ceiling above his head. It was a potential way to the surface.

Ian gestured to Hetra below him. "Can I have that?"

The Optera passed him his spear, and the human man tried to cut through the roof.

Ian gritted his teeth as he sawed away. "It's like trying to cut your way through treacle."

"The blind mouth of Poidarac will not let us through," Hetra hissed.

"Ian, try!" Vrestin urged.

()()()

"Remember, the Destructor must be aimed at the dark side of the Animus," Hilio was saying of the Isop-tope as they rounded a corner, only to be charged by a pack of Zarbi.

"Zarbi! There's no turning back. We must rush them," Prapillus exclaimed, "It only needs one of us to get through with the Isop-tope."

"Now!" Hilio barrled forward.

"Zarbi!" Prapillus banged the wall, causing a tendril to scream, and the Zarbi to scatter.

One of them knocks into Hilio, sending him off balance.

"Barbara!"

The human woman turned in time for him to throw her the Isop-tope.

She clasped the obect in her hands as she kept running, dodging scrapping legs and chomping pincers.

Hilio knocked Zarbi back, shoving his way through like an unstoppable object while Prapillus clung to the wall.

"Barbara! Barbara! Barbara!"

Hlynia screamed in a mixture of fright and determination as she sprinted along behind Barbara.

The two females rounded the corner, Hilio and Prapillus close behind them.

As soon as they cleared the bend, the Zarbi seemed to retreat.

Barbara dared to pause to catch her breath. "They're not following us."

Prapillus raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps we were expected?"

A sudden warmth then reached all their faces, a heat and a light so intense its milky influence was felt even from behind the thick tentacle walls.

Hilio stepped towards the heat. "This must be the Center. Give me the Isop-tope."

Barbara passed the object to him just as the tendrils shrank back. A blinding light erupted in front of their eyes like an explosion. It stunned them all and caused them to freeze.

"Light!" Prapillus shielded his eyes.

"All of you."

A voice. A voice that had no source, and yet had every source.

Barbara couldn't place it. Was it the Animus? Was it Terna? Was it _her_?

"Light! Light! Light!" the young Hlynia started forward.

"No, Hlynia, not this light!" Prapillus held her back, "It is evil."

Hlynia whimpered, collapsing at the knees as Prapillus held her close, both of them falling to the ground.

The Animus rolled over them, as sudden as a tide, as thick as a syrup.

Hilio groaned, collapsing to his knees as he held a shaking arm out to Barbara.

Her eyes began to adjust to the light, and she saw he was giving her the device.

"Barbara, the Isop-tope. Take it!"

"Barbara? Barbara!" Was that Terna's voice? "Brave Barbara!"

Barbara struggled. The Animus was a swarm of bats in her mind, pounding against the edges of her mound, the wings creating ripples across her thoughts.  
She was numb, hot and cold at the same time as she struggled forward, clinging to the Isop-tope and a single thought if nothing else.  
_The dark side. I must aim it at the dark side._

The tendrils churned beneath her and the Animus laughed.

It was eyes and cancerous skin. Too large, too much. A body so wrong and twisted, an unnatural deformity that was a plague upon reality.

"Approach. Approach, Earth woman. Your struggles are futile."

Barbara clutched the Isop-tope as a shadowed passed over her vision.

The Dark Side.

She held the device aloft, but the light didn't diminish. The creature flared out towards her. The tendrils a dozen snakes.

"It doesn't work!" Barbara screamed, hopelessness crashing down upon her. It doesn't work!"

"Escape is impossible. Impossible."

The white was a haze, a void. The waters were deep, pooling around Barbara and growing and growing. The tide was coming in and she was about to drown.

But then a life raft appeared. The waters broke way in the distance, and a familiar figure climbed out of the ground.

"Ian!"

"You have no power," the Animus declared.

Barbara screamed as the waters rose higher, they consumed her from the feet up. She was being swallowed, everything below the waist was being erased.

She no longer had feet as she fell amongst the tendrils.

The Isop-tope left her grasp, and her fear flared. It burned what was left of her brain.

The Animus burned, her panic burned. The waters were hot under her hands.

"Power. Master them. Master them! The universe!"

The Animus was everywhere.

"Ian, the Isop-tope. Give it to me!"

Ian had clasped the device. His hands shaking with the effort, already succumbing to the waters.

He looked up into Terna, standing at the threshold of the tumor of eyes and fear and wrongness.

The monster that was everywhere. He saw it in her eyes even as they pleaded.

He hesitated.

"Ian. Loyal Ian. Please."

That voice. That look. Ian…Loyal Ian.

He was transported back to a day under the hot Mexican sun, a day of swords and gods and leopard skinned armor.

Ian let his arm fly. The device soared through the air, and Terna caught it in both hands as they peeked out from between the rippling coils.  
Light exploded from her fingers. The Animus screamed.

"No stop! Stop! The Light! Too much light!"

Terna smiled as the light flowed around them. It was fire to the water, ice to the flames.  
It was everthing to nothgin and nothing to everything.

Exactly what was needed.

It was alive and bright and blue.

It was Anima.

Terna laughed as glee surged within her, a sense of feeling spreading throughout her body from her hands outward.  
This was hers, no one else's.  
"What's the matter? Can't a poor imitation handle the real thing?"

"We cannot be destroyed," the Animus hissed. "Your weapon is useless. We have the power of the Lyall!"

Terna laughed, the sensation rippled through her. "You have the power of a Lyall. Well, I _am_ a Lyall. Take this!"

The Lyall Queen then plunged the Isop-tope into her heart. The light spread out from her chest and burned all of the tendrils. The smoke flared as the skin blackened. Everything screamed and thrashed around as the tentacles burned.  
The waters caught fire and the flames froze. The everywhere voice bellowed in agony in every ear and every heart.  
The light flickered, lick a cnadle in the wind it died slowly and the all at once. Smoke poured out of the source as the eyes milked out and the skin shriveled, collapsing into itself as the tendrils unraveled and shrivled.  
Dust upon dust, a pyre of ashses.

The creature collapsed. The Animus was devoured within itself, everything became nothing and nothing became everything.

Suddenly, as though a switch had been flicked, time felt right again, and everyone's thoughts were their own.

Vicki, surrounded by shriveled tendrils sat up and looked around, her eyes full of euphoric awe.  
"It's dead. It's dead! Doctor, wake up," she turned to him, lying wrapped beside her. "The Animus is dead!"

"Ian!" Barbara sprinted towards him.

She threw herself into him, wrapping her arms around her neck and burying her face in his neck. He smelled of dust and dirt and slime and Ian and she wanted to laugh and cry but didn't know which to do first.

"Oh, Barbara, thank goodness," Ian whispered in her ear, trailing his fingers through her hair.

"Prappilus!"

Babara managed to pull herself away from Ian to see the female Menoptra that had saved her from the control of the gold bracelet rush over to embrace him.

"Vrestin, my child," the elderly Menoptra grasped her tightly, holding her closer as though he never wanted to let her go.

The Doctor sat up, the ashy tentacles falling away as he looked around, blinking in a daze.

"Doctor, you're alright," Vicki asked.

"Of course I'm alright, my dear. Why wouldn't I be? Where's Terna? Is she alright?"

Barbara's heart dropped in realization. "Terna!"

"Oh, no she's still in that thing!"  
Ian followed her as she sprinted towards the blackened mass lying in the middle of the room.

The humans and Vrestin quickly rushed over and pulled apart the dead vines to reveal Terna's ashy body lying amidst the dead form.

Barbara lingered, afraid to touch her. "Is she alright? She can't be dead. Can she?"

Ian knelt beside her, gingerly touching the side of her grime-smeared face. She didn't move.  
"I don't know. That creature in the Center was controlling her mind, perhaps if she died-."

"Nonsense. Don't lose heart, Chesteron," the Doctor declared as he and Vicki hurried over to them.

But even as he said it, he couldn't seem to mask the worry on his face as the Time Lord dropped to his knees beside Terna's motionless form.

"Ian."

The human man whirled around to see Vrestin was holding out a handful of water to him. A glance over her shoulder showed it was bubbling up from the ground where a tendril had once been sucking away.

Silently, everyone moved aside, the Doctor somewhat reluctantly as Vrestin knelt down and gave Terna a sip of the water. After a pause, she jolted awake, coughing.

Barbara beamed. "Terna!"

"You're alright," Ian said as he helped her sit up.

The Doctor smiled warmly as he touched the side of Terna's face.

She leaned into the touch. "Am I still myself, Doctor?"

"I dare say you are, my dear."

()()()

A new feeling had settled over the landscape of Vortis. It was like the very planet itself was slowly being strangled by the influence of Animus, and now, free of its control, it was able to let out a long sigh of an uninhibited breath.

After the destruction of the Center, the Carsinome had withered away almost completely within half an hour. The TARDIS now stood alone and free against the black, white, and grey world.

A freed Zarbi scraped at the ground and a spring of crystal water started to flow. It bent its bulbous head to drink, and others soon join it.

Hilio, sporting a slight limp from the fight, was led by Hlynia over to the spring.

"Water. Drink."

"I'll be alright, Hlynia."

"Vicki, come see!"

"What is it?"

"More water!" Hlynia giggled with delight as the human girl crouched beside the spring.

"It is! Why does it appear now?"

"Before the Animus, water flowed freely on Vortis," Hilio explained as he and Hilio settled down on a rock beside the running water. "Now the evil is gone, our streams run pure again. Our vegetation will flourish."

Not too far away, Barbara was playing with a larva that no longer dripped poison and instaed snuffled around the ground like an undersized, insect-like elephant.

Beside her, Terna, who was looking tired and slightly peaky was resting on a rock with Ian next to her.

"You see, Ian. There was once a Lyall on this planet. They seemed to provide good things for the Menoptra, who have long since worshipped us as gods. However, another creature, a formless parasite, came from space and consumed them, it stole their power and destroyed most of their consciousness."

Ian nodded in understanding. "And the Isop-tope was the last of them."

Terna smiled, but it had a distinct hint of sadness to it. "They gave the remainder of their life so the people and planet they had grown to love would live freely again."

Ian squeezed her hand. "That was a very noble sacrifice.

Terna dropped her eyes as they began to mist slightly. "Yes, it was."

"But what happened to the Animus?" Barbara inquired, tossing a rock for the larva to chase like a dog chases a ball.

"It was absorbed through the combined power of the other Lyall and myself," Terna explained.  
"My mind's like a giant web. That's why it's impossible for anything other than another of the same power to possess me." She smirked slightly, "After all, I have billions of years' worth of memories I need to keep track of."

Ian's mouth fell open. "Wait. Did you just say…?"

"Billions?" Barbara finished, aghast. "Terna, how _old _are you?"

The Lyall shrugged. "Well, to tell you the truth, I kind of lost track a long time ago, but I'd put it at an estimate of around 850 billion or something like that."

"But that's impossible!" Ian exclaimed, "The universe is only 14 billion years old."

"Oh, that's just when we started keeping track," Terna replied dismissively.

"Ian, Barbara, come and look. More water!"

Terna waved the two of them off, allowing them to go over to the young girl and some of the Menoptra as they gathered around a fresh spring.

Ian's spot beside her was soon filled by the Doctor.

"How are you, my dear. Forgive me for saying this, but you still look a little pale."

Terna chuckled. "Can you blame me? I've had a trying day."

The Doctor faltered. "Right. Sorry, that was somewhat insensitive of me. It's just…Well, I don't really know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything."

The Doctor sighed. "I suppose not. It's just, I feel terrible, Terna. This all went so horribly wrong, and you've lost another of your kind."

Terna nodded. "Perhaps, but I take comfort in the fact that they were happy once and they are happy again. They gave the last of their life for the people and planet they loved. They sacrificed everything, and I felt it. When I used the Isop-tope, I felt that they were alive, they were free, there were happy, and they-they didn't blame me." Terna continued to smile as the tears still fell from her eyes.

The Doctor gently reached up and wiped them away. "I'm so glad to hear that."

"Be strong. Be strong," Vrestin called to the crowd of Optera as they jumped and wriggled about across the ground, out in the open for the first time in centuries. "The light is very good."

"We fly like you?" Hetra asked.

The female Menoptra shook her head. "No, but your children may fly."

"We see." Hetra tried flapping his tiny arms and fell.

Vrestin laughed. "Be patient."

Hetra appeared dejected. "Without flight, how will the gods of Light be kind to my people?"

Vrestin held out a hand to help him up. "Vortis is strong by thought. We will work together."

Terna laughed at their antics, and the Doctor took comfort in it.

At that moment, Prapillus approached them.  
"If I had not lived until this time, I would have counted my life entirely wasted. Terna, Doctor, we owe you a great deal.:

The latter smiled, holding out his hand. "There's only one thing you owe me, my friend."

The elderly Menoptra raised an eyebrow. "And what is that?"

"My ring."

"Your ring?" Prapillus's eyes lit up in remembrance. "Your ring, on my life." He bowed as he slid the object off his hand and held it out to the Doctor.

"Thank you, thank you. Feeling better, my dear?" the Doctor added to Terna.

She nodded, wiping the last of her tears away. "Loads. I dare say Vortis will be green again," she added to Prapillus.

"In time, yes. For now, we have hope."

"Well, they seem to be enjoying themselves up here." They looked over as Ian joined the Optera.

"The light is good," Vrestin announced.

"Light is good!" Hetra parroted.

"Ian," Vrestin dropped her eyes. "Will you come back to Vortis?"

Ian sighed, shaking his head. "Oh, I doubt it, Vrestin. But, knowing the Doctor, you can never be sure."

"Vrestin," Prapillus called to her, "Have you mended the communicator?"

She perked up. "Oh, yes." She then hurried over to the large, geode-like device resting in the dirt beside lingering Zarbi.

Ian walked over to the Doctor and Terna as they got to their feet.  
"Well, my boy, we've managed to come out of this knot unscathed," the former declared.

"Yes. All except my old school tie."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Yes, it's quite a problem, isn't it?" he said sarcastically. "It was something to do with 'coal', wasn't it?"

"Coal Hill School. An old Coal Hill School tie. Black with thin emerald green stripes on it."

The Doctor rolled his eyes at the correction while Terna laughed.  
"Yes, yes, quite so. Quite so. Come on."

"Barbara, Vicki. Come on," Terna called to the others.

One by one they then entered the TARDIS, and it dematerialized in a shower of dust.

Hlynia jumped in alarm. "It disappeared!"

Prapillus smiled, raising his arms to the heavens.  
"Their deeds shall be sung in the Temples of Light. Pictos shall remind us of a time as it circles Vortis. Every time it points to the Needle of the Kings, as it does now, then we shall weave songs to praise the gods of Light and thank them that they sent the Earth people to save us from the Animus. Now the Zarbi larvae feed the soil, the flower forest shall grow again across Vortis. But we must not allow the forest to conceal another lurking Animus. Welcome the main force."

He gestured to Vrestin, who activated the communicator. "Vortis to main force, Vortis to main force."

_Main force to Vortis. Main force to Vortis. Vrestin, where shall we land?_

Grinning from ear to ear, Vrestin pressed the device to respond.  
"The Dark Power is dead. Fly in Menoptra to the Delta of Lights. We are waiting."

* * *

A/N: Allow me to provide an explanation of Terna's durability: Terna is essentially an immortal Lyall soul trapped in a mortal humanoid body. Said soul works its way through her blood. While Terna's skin has the same limitations as any other humanoid i.e. it can be cut or burned as in other chapters, her blood cannot be contaminated by any kind of poison or radiation (well, almost any) as her blood and other inner workings are influenced by her soul. The question of course remains as to exactly what Terna's mortal body is. Is it human? Or something else?

Next Time: The Chase


End file.
